Seh'ra
by R33per
Summary: Having just saved the world from the Keeper, Richard, Kahlan, and Cara are headed to Aydindril so Kahlan may resume her role as Mother Confessor.  On the way they meet a mysterious stranger named Ben with a checkered past that will come back to haunt him.
1. Life Isn't Fair

**Life Isn't Fair**

He saw the attack coming. Clumsy, slow, not creative at all, it was everything he was expecting. Honestly, he was a bit disappointed. It actually made it harder when his opponent was so outmatched. It made it harder to keep things entertaining.

He raised his sword to meet the attack. Blade met blade. That unmistakable sound of metal meeting metal rang through the late afternoon air. He loved that sound. The circle of people surrounding the two combatants let out a collective gasp as they realized that the potential death blow had been averted.

Another attack came, if possible even slower this time. This man was no fighter. He raised his sword and parried this blow, purposefully leaving an opening even this inexperienced warrior couldn't miss. The man didn't. Seeing that he had backed himself into a corner, the man pressed an attack. The crowd cheered as every agonizingly slow blow was delivered and every one was blocked. Now his opponent finally had him where he wanted him, trapped between the ring of spectators and a large tree stump that for some reason had not been removed from this open area. The man swung his blade upward with all his might. Stepping to one side and straddling the stump he dodged the blow, allowing his opponent to bring his sword full force into the wooden obstacle between his legs, mere inches from his most sensitive area.

"Whew! You don't have to kill me to win," he said stepping over the sword and past the man, patting him on the shoulder as he struggled to free the blade from the stump.

The crowd laughed. His opponent didn't find it funny. Once his sword was free, the man, now angry, pressed his attack even harder. With a war cry the man lunged at him full tilt, hate in his eyes, and vengeance in his heart. Even in his anger, this man was no match for him. Every blow was predictable. He knew where each blow was going before the man even initiated it. Still, it was getting late. This would most likely be his last opponent of the day. It was time to finish this.

He mounted an attack of his own. The man wasn't ready for it. Even if he had been this man couldn't have stopped it. He called forth all of his knowledge, wielding his blade not as a weapon but as an extension of his body. The blows came so fast it almost seemed as if he had more than one blade. Against a more experienced opponent this type of attack would have been suicide. Perhaps that was really his goal. Why he always ended fights with this flurry of strikes. Maybe he sought death. Maybe then his pain could end. This man however was not experienced enough to send him to the underworld. Pressing the man backwards he continued his attack, it would soon be over. The man couldn't stop it. Finally he worked his way in close, time to finish it.

Swiping the man's blade to one side with his, he brought the flat part of his blade to meet the back of his opponent's knuckles loosening the man's grip on his weapon. Quickly bringing his blade around the hilt of his opponent's, he flicked his sword up sending the other's blade flying into the air. It was time for the final blow. Reaching backward with his left hand, he swung his blade at the man's neck with his right. The man closed his eyes in anticipation of the coming blow. The crowd went silent. Swinging with all his might he let out a roar. The blade was on its way. He saw the man's muscles tense in expectation. Finally the man realized the blow hadn't landed yet. When his opponent cautiously opened his eyes there he was, his blade in one hand inches from the man's neck and his opponent's blade in the other. With a smile on his face he took his blade from the man's neck. Looking at the other weapon in amazement the crowd joined him in saying what had become his trademark,

"Is this your blade?" they asked. The crowd laughed again.

"Give him a hand he fought well." He said returning the sword to the man. With a look of amazement the man accepted both the applause and his blade and walked away dejected.

Last fight of the day, it was time to pack up and leave before it got too late. If he left now, he could get a few miles of travelling in before he had to stop for the night. He started to make his way to his pack, but before he could get there the hawker stepped into the ring of humanity.

"Do we have anymore challengers?" He asked in a loud voice. No one spoke up.

"Oh come now people, surely there's someone among you capable of dispatching this strapping young man." Still no one spoke up.

He hated the hawkers but they were necessary to draw the crowd he needed. The more people, the more potential challengers for him, and therefore the more money he could make. Ever since the war had ended he had made his living with his blade, travelling from town to town taking on any challenger. In all that time he was still undefeated.

"Come on people, we have enough sunlight for one more challenger. Surely there's one of you brave enough to accept this man's challenge." The hawker continued. Of course he wanted another challenger. The deal he'd struck with this man, who usually spent his time tending a bar, was, if he lost, this man would get the entire purse from the day. This was this man's last chance not to waste an entire day and have to explain that to his wife. He hated hawkers, all he wanted to do was call it a day and leave with his money.

"Come on, surely there must be one!"

"I'll give it a try," came the response.

It came from a man about his same height standing behind him. Handing his pack to the woman standing next to him the man stepped into the circle of spectators. This man carried himself different than the rest of his opponents today. This man was a fighter, he could tell. Despite the baggy cloak and hood the man was wearing, it was plain to see this man was muscular. The sword he had at his hip was unique as well. He'd never seen anything quite like it. Perhaps this would get interesting.

"We have challenger!" screamed the hawker with a pleased grin on his face. He hated hawkers.

"So, what's your name friend?" He asked his new hooded opponent.

"Richard. Richard Cypher," the man said pushing back his hood revealing a head of medium length brown hair.

The crowd let out a collective gasp. The hawker smiled even wider. He hated hawkers. Suddenly he knew why the sword looked so unique. It was the Sword of Truth, the weapon of the Seeker of Truth. Forged by wizards millennia ago and passed down from Seeker to Seeker for thousands of years.

"Richard Cypher! The Seeker!" he said in astonishment. The man nodded.

His mind was racing. Things certainly had gotten interesting indeed. What should he do? If he fought the Seeker and won, he would never need to recruit another hawker. No more making deals with bartenders and merchants. His fame would spread all over the three territories. People would come for miles to see the man who had bested the Seeker. Every man would want to challenge the man who had defeated the Seeker of Truth in a fight. On the other hand, if he lost this entire day would be a waste. He had used all the money he had travelling to this town. If he lost he would lose the entire purse and walk away empty handed. That was too big a risk. He raised his voice.

"Oh come now my people, surely you don't want to see a massacre. We've all heard of the Seeker's epic battles against the D'harans and Banelings. He's killed thousands. He has defeated the Keeper himself for crying out loud. Certainly I am no match," he really didn't care if he was outmatched it was just too big a risk. "I'm afraid I must decline."

While the crowd expressed their disapproval the hawker came storming up to him.

"You can't do that. We had a deal. You said if anyone defeated you I'd get the purse. You can't back out now."

"I said if I was defeated you'd get the purse. I never said I had to accept all challengers and you didn't see fit to stipulate that. I'm not backing out of anything and don't you dare accuse me of such a thing," he said pointing his blade at the scrawny little man's chin to make sure he got the point.

"Of course I didn't stipulate that, I thought it was implied in the deal. This isn't fair" The hawker pleaded, desperately looking for a way out of his predicament.

"Life isn't fair!" He snapped. "Next time I suggest you think things through more carefully," he seethed patting the man on the shoulder with his blade to drive his point home. This conversation was over. Quickly getting control of his anger, he turned to the crowd and exclaimed, "I'm afraid the entertainment for the day is over my friends."

With a sigh the crowd started to disperse and he began to collect his things.

"Then I'll sweeten the deal," Richard said.

The crowd stopped in their tracks, intrigued to here what the Seeker had in store.

"What's your name friend?" Richard asked.

Seeing that this man wasn't going to back down he obliged.

"Ben Meiffert, Seeker."

"Good to meet you Ben. If the money is what bothers you, I'll solve the problem. If I win and you lose your purse for the day, I will personally reimburse you."

"What?" came the reply from a woman in skin tight red leather standing next to the woman holding Richard's pack, apparently another companion of his. Ben didn't know how he had missed her. He could feel anger, hate, and rage rising in side of him again. She was a mord' sith. Ben hated mord' sith more than anything even hawkers. Richard ignored her.

"If you win," he continued, "you will receive something sought after by men throughout the three territories. A rare yet dangerous gift. You will receive something that could make your name famous throughout the entire world or destroy everything that you are," then turning to the crowd, now hanging on his every word, he asked, "Do you want to know what it is?"

They cheered, expressing their curiosity.

"If you win, you will receive…" he said turning to the woman holding his pack, "a kiss from the Mother Confessor herself!"

"What?" Ben, the mord' sith, and the Mother Confessor all screamed in one voice.


	2. So Lovely A Lady

**So Lovely a Lady**

In disbelief Kahlan dropped Richard's pack on the ground. She couldn't have heard him right. It sounded like he said "kiss." Her ears must have been playing tricks on her. He wouldn't promise a kiss from her over something as trivial as a sword fight, especially not to a stranger.

For nearly two years now a kiss was all she and Richard had had. It was difficult. Her power unlike other magic did not come and go. It was always present. At all times she had to keep it under control. If for just one moment she lost her hold, it would be released. In that moment when time stood still, the person her power was released into ceased to be the person they had been. They became her mindless love-slave willing to do anything, even die, to please her. For fear that she would lose control and Richard would cease to be Richard, they refused to take it further than a kiss. Still, how she treasured those moments. When their lips touched it seemed like the entire world froze. Similar to when she used her confessor's power, but completely different. When their lips met it was as if everything else in the entire world faded away and nothing existed except her and Richard. Time was theirs. Nothing else mattered. In those moments she finally understood what love really was.

It was only a few weeks ago that they had discovered that their caution was unnecessary. Having been confessed by Nicci and under the influences of the Con Dar because she believed Nicci had died, Kahlan had tried to confess Richard. She had tried to confess the only man that she had ever loved. She tried to destroy everything that was precious and meaningful in her life. Yet she hadn't. Richard's love for her protected him from her power. As he put it, "I could never love you anymore than I already do."

Somewhere deep in her heart, in a place she kept hidden, in the well deep inside of her where she put the hopes and desires she dared not believe in, she had wondered if this could happen. She wondered if a confessor could really love a man and not have her magic destroy everything he was. For two years she hadn't let herself believe that dream. Though it was bliss when she and Richard kissed, it was also agony beyond compare to think that that was all they could have. She wouldn't let herself believe that there could be any more. For Confessors there never had been more and there never could be. To let herself believe it would cause even more misery. To let Richard believe it was not only irresponsible but cruel. She couldn't be cruel to him. She loved him. So she had put those hopes aside. Hid them away, never to be.

But now they knew the truth. There was no magic more powerful than love. Love was the reason they had survived so many dire situations. Love was how they won the battle against the Keeper. Love was what kept them all together. Love was what protected Richard from her power. And now love was what she and Richard could finally have. No more caution. No more doubt. Just love. Finally.

She couldn't have heard him right. A kiss? A kiss was precious to her. It had been their only expression of love for so long. She must have been hearing things.

"That's right you heard me, a kiss from the Mother Confessor herself!" Richard said.

Now she knew she had heard him right. What was he thinking? Was he thinking? He couldn't possibly think that she would honor such an arrangement. How could he? A kiss was something sacred, something pure. It wasn't something to be pawned off. It certainly wasn't a means of getting someone to fight. Even if he were offering a kiss from himself he shouldn't do this, but he wasn't. He was offering a kiss from her! What was in his head? She could feel her face becoming warm as blood rushed to her brain to try to help her understand what was happening. She ran her fingers back through her hair and grab the sides of her head. She couldn't wrap her mind around what Richard was doing. Shock led to confusion. Confusion led to worry. Worry led to anger. And anger led to realization of what she had to do.

"A kiss from the Mother Confessor herself. That is of course if she will agree to it." Richard said as he held out an expectant hand to her.

With a smug smile on her face, she took his hand and stepped into the circle. Head held high she said, "Of course I agree. I've been fighting banelings for so long it's nice to have two fine looking young men fighting over me for a change."

The crowd laughed. Surprisingly Richard didn't seem upset in the least at how quickly and easily she had agreed. How could he not be upset? Nevertheless, she was going to teach him a lesson. She hoped the stranger, Ben, would win just so she could show Richard not to treat her feelings so lightly. He would regret this day. He would remember forever not to treat her like this.

Cara grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing?" she asked in amazement.

"Trust me," Kahlan said with a self satisfied smile on her face.

"You can't possibly be thinking about entertaining this ridiculous wager. Have some respect for yourself." Cara urged.

"Just trust me Cara; Richard won't know what hit him."

"You have a plan then?" Cara asked with a knowing smile.

"Just trust me."

"Good. That means I won't have to show Richard why some of my slaves had higher voices than the rest." The Mord'Sith said with a devious smirk.

Kahlan laughed. Oh no, she thought, what she had in mind would hurt Richard even more than anything Cara could dream up. He would most definitely learn his lesson today.

* * *

Kahlan was incredible, Richard thought to himself. Her insight and keen senses had always astounded him. He was so proud of her. No wonder he loved this woman. In the moment the only thing he could think to offer to this man, besides the money, was a kiss from one of his two companions. Afraid of the calamitous possibilities offering a kiss from Cara presented, he had no choice but to offer a kiss from Kahlan. He was afraid she would get upset not understanding his motive behind it, but everything inside of him told him he still had to take that risk. He was the Seeker after all. He needed to trust his feelings. He was very pleased when she offered no objection. She was intelligent and surely she understood his reasons for offering something so dear to them both. It was pure torment, offering the kiss, but he had no choice. Turning to Ben, who was still frozen in shock, he said,

"Well what do you say Ben? Looks like you have nothing to lose and everything to gain."

Still flustered by the whole situation Ben seemed reluctant to agree to fight. He stammered over a few words and scratched his head of spiky blond hair with a look of exasperation on his face. From somewhere behind him Richard heard something. It was someone chanting.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

He turned and saw, to his surprise, it was Kahlan chanting. That was odd. Cara joined in.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

The crowd took up the chant.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

It spread throughout the circle until the very air vibrated with every word.

"KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS!"

Finally throwing his hand up in the air Ben exclaimed.

"Looks like I don't really have a choice. Like you said, Seeker, I've got nothing to lose. Let's do this."

The crowd erupted. The noise was deafening. Both Richard and Ben received pats on the back from the spectators closest to them. The fight was on.

Ben drew his sword from its sheath sitting against a low rock wall on one side of the square. With a few flourishes he stepped to the center of the circle of spectators and assumed a defensive position. Richard drew his sword, The Sword of Truth. It announced its presence with its distinctive ring. The crowd, which had previously been shouting encouragement to both fighters, fell silent. Richard could feel the sword's magic flowing through every fiber of his being. He could feel his passion and rage uniting with the sword, becoming one. With this power coursing through him, Richard stepped to center of the circle. The time had come.

Seeing the sword's magic dancing in Richard's eyes Ben said, with a nervous smile, "Take it easy on me, will ya?"

Richard only smiled back.

"Begin." Richard said. The fight had started.

Ben took a step to his left. Richard mirrored it. With two quick swings Ben began an attack. Richard blocked both strikes then dodged as Ben slashed his sword diagonally at Richard's head. They smiled at each other. Richard took a step to his right. Ben mirrored it. With two quick swings Richard attacked. Ben blocked both strikes and then dodged as Richard slashed diagonally at his head. They smiled again.

Then the fight really began. Richard pressed an attack. As blows rained down on Ben he pushed forward driving Ben back. Their blades locked. Ben pushed Richard off and began an attack of his own. Blow after blow came driving Richard back. Their blades locked again. This time, rather than pushing off, Ben locked the edge of his blade to Richard's hilt. Bringing both blades around in a circle he nearly disarmed Richard. However, in doing so, he left himself open to a boot to the chest. Richard didn't hesitate. Leather met bone and Ben went tumbling across the square.

Regaining his grip on his sword, Richard charged, sword raised high over head. Bringing his blade down as he reached Ben, on his knees, Richard thought the fight might be over. But, to his surprise, metal met metal. Ben pushed back and, with a sweep of his right arm, took Richard off his feet. Richard's back hit the hard ground with a thud. He saw Ben's blade coming for his neck. Rolling out of the way just in time, he brought his sword down on top of Ben's as it hit the dirt. As they both regained their footing, they lowered their shoulders and met in the middle. Neither moved an inch. Pushing off, they both took a step back and stared at each other, both still smiling. Where did Ben learn to fight like this? Richard wondered. This was going to take a while.

* * *

Ben couldn't believe the power behind the Seeker's blows. Every time he blocked a swing it was like getting hit with a hammer. The Seeker knew what he was doing too. Every attack set up the next strike. No wasted motion. Every movement had a purpose. Every feint or false opening was strategic. This man knew how to fight. Finally a worthy opponent.

The fight seemed like it had just started, but from the sweat on both he and Richard and from the position of the sun just about to set, he could tell that they had been fighting for close to an hour. The crowd hadn't made a noise the entire time, captivated by the display of skill and strength they were witnessing. The problem was there seemed to be no end in sight. Every time one of them seemed to gain an advantage, the other would thwart it. This could go on forever. He couldn't. He had to end it now. If he lost, he would still get his money, or perhaps finally feel the sweet release from pain death would bring, and if he won… the fame was well worth the risk. It was time for his flurry. He knew against such a well trained and skilled opponent it was most likely suicide but he really had nothing to live for.

He pressed his attack. Summoning all of the strength he had left, he lunged at the Seeker.

* * *

Richard wasn't expecting the attack. He couldn't believe he had been caught off guard, but this entire fight every attack Ben had mounted was well thought out and well executed. This attack was rash. It came out of nowhere and startled him. He blocked the first blow but they kept coming. It seemed as if the steel was coming from all directions at once. He blocked it but couldn't do much more. He could feel himself being pushed back but he couldn't do anything to stop it. The attack came so fast and so recklessly he didn't know how to counter it. Had he been prepared for it when it came, he easily could have killed Ben, but now, trapped in the midst of it, he was helpless. He felt like he was drowning. He could see the surface of the water slowly moving further and further away as every strike came faster and pushed him deeper. He was lost. How could he fight against such reckless disregard for self preservation?

Then he felt the whack of steel against his knuckles. He felt his grip loosen, and watched as his sword, The Sword of Truth, was sent flying through the air.

Time slowed. He could see the last rays of sunlight reflecting in the flawless surface of the blade as it tumbled through the sky. It was really rather beautiful. Without realizing it, he fell to his knees. The sword's power had left him. He felt hollow, in a way. The fight was over.

* * *

With his left hand he caught the sword. That very instant Ben could feel something coursing through him. Like the blade was feeding off of every ounce of passion inside of him. No one said his trademark. The crowd stood in stunned silence. He stared in amazement at the blade, at the flawless beauty of it. He had won. He couldn't believe it.

Richard was on his knees. Somehow gaining control of the overwhelming power of the sword, Ben slowly returned the blade to Richard. In astonishment Richard accepted it.

It took a few seconds for it all to sink in. He had just defeated the Seeker. He had just done what both Darken Rahl and the Keeper could not. No more hawkers, no more searching for opponents. He was set for life. He was a legend.

Suddenly realizing that the fight was over, the crowd shook off their amazement and renewed the chant from before.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

* * *

Kahlan was almost too stunned to believe what she had just seen. Richard had lost. She couldn't believe it. It all didn't seem real. But she had seen it with her own eyes. She had seen the Sword of Truth in Ben's hand.

She felt hands pushing her toward the center of the circle. What were they doing? She looked at Richard who still hadn't gotten off of his knees. With a pleasant smile he joined the chant.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Now she remembered. Anger rose inside her again and with it realization. She was going to teach him. This would be a kiss talked about for millennia. In two years she'd never kissed Richard like she was going to kiss this man now. He would learn not to treat her feelings like they were worthless. He would learn not to take for granted her affections. Her plan was set in motion.

* * *

When Ben saw the Mother Confessor coming towards him he suddenly realized why they were chanting "kiss." During the course of the fight he had completely forgotten that a kiss from the Mother Confessor was part of the bargain. Now here she came.

She approached him. They looked each other in the eye then looked around at the crowd still chanting. They both smiled. Then, just as the Mother Confessor leaned in for the kiss, Ben raised his hands to the crowd to quiet them.

"My friends," he said grabbing her hand, "I dare not kiss so lovely a lady. I fear my heart may break when our lips part."

The crowd cheered their approval. He smiled. But on the inside, despite this great victory, he felt dead. His heart had been broken long ago.


	3. Three Rules

**Three Rules**

"Another." Ben said as he pushed the empty pint glass back at the bartender.

"You sure son?" The bartender asked. "That's your fourth one. I think maybe you ought to slow down and savor the moment. You're a legend now, son. You just beat The Seeker. Doesn't that make you happy at all?"

With a look that could have scared the Keeper himself, Ben grabbed the bartender by the shirt collar. "I said another," he said, "and I'm not your son!"

"Alright," the bartender said as he gingerly removed Ben's fingers from his collar and poured him another pint, "I don't want any trouble. You could have any woman in the town right now. It's just if I were you s-… uh, sir I would be enjoying myself not drowning in pints of beer."

Ben ignored him and started in on his fifth pint. Turning around on his stool at the bar Ben took in the scene in front of him. The place was packed. The dozens of people all packed into this tiny room made the air hot and stale. The room was dominated by the bar, which took up nearly one third of it. A few tables had been crammed into the rest of the space so those who wanted more than a liquid meal could sit. At the table to his left five men were huddled together discussing the events of the day. One of them was gloating that he had taken them all for a hefty sum when he bet on Ben to win the fight. The others pushed and shoved him, telling him it was pure dumb luck. At the table behind them two huge men were eating gigantic turkey legs. Seeing that they had nearly finished them, the waitress, wearing a very short green dress and a white blouse, glided over to the table and asked if there was anything more she could get them. With greasy fingers, the man farthest from Ben reached under the girl's short dress and pinched her buttocks. From under his huge black beard a toothy grin appeared.

"Not right now deary, but I'm sure a little later you could help us with a little desert." He said sharing a devious look with his table mate as he patted the waitress on the rear to send her on her way.

In a hearth on the far wall a fire blazed. A picture of the bartender's family, a wife and two little girls, hung on the wall over the mantle piece. To each side of the hearth were small windows. Tattered drapes bracketed the windows looking as if the weather had gotten the best of them. The window to the right actually had two different colored drapes, having apparently lost one that couldn't be replaced with a duplicate of the same color. In the corner to the right of that window three women from the town stood and watched Ben's every move. Ben let out an exasperated sigh when he saw them. Earlier in the night each of them, in turn, had tried to get Ben into bed with no success. Apparently they hadn't gotten the clue yet that he wasn't interested. Turning back to the bar, Ben took another swig of beer. It might not help him feel better, but at least it helped him forget.

He looked at the foam sitting on top of the beer and the dark amber beer underneath. Why couldn't he forget? Why couldn't he move on? No matter how hard he tried he couldn't get that day out of his head. Why hadn't he tried harder? Why didn't he act faster? Why was he destined to feel this pain worse than death and not die? Because the Creator was punishing him, that's why. He should have acted quicker. He should have escaped sooner. He should have been able to save them.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. Great, he really didn't want to have to deal with these women again. They had picked the wrong time to bother him.

"Listen", he said, "I really don't care what sweet nothings you will whisper in my ear, I really don't care how much experience or inexperience, which ever you think is more attractive to me, you have, I really don't care how many times or how long you are willing to offer, I really don't care what your friends are willing to do with us, and most of all," he said beginning to turn, "I really don't care how big you think my –"

"Your what?" Richard said with a small smirk on his face.

"Sorry, I thought you were someone else." Ben said as he turned back to his beer.

"I hope so, although, you might not want to discount how skilled I am at whispering sweet nothings in ears." Richard replied as he gave Ben a playful nudge on the shoulder.

Ben gave a half smile, not really in the mood to be joking around

"You really fought well today." Richard said.

"Thanks." Ben replied half-heartedly before taking another swig of beer.

"I have to admit, that's the first time in a long time anyone has beaten me." Richard continued. "That last attack you used… it was… interesting to say the least. Where did you learn something like that? Can you teach me?"

Ben let out a sigh. "Listen Seeker I'm not really in the mood for small talk right now. Could you get to the point."

"Okay." Richard said scratching his head nervously. "Well, I figured you would be packing up soon and heading on your way, right?"

"That was the plan." Ben replied.

"Well, since you're going to be travelling and we're going to be travelling," he paused and looked up as if searching for the correct words, "I was wondering if maybe you'd want to travel together?"

"I travel alone Seeker. Sorry."

"Oh. This is a dangerous part of the Midlands, you know. It's close to the Wilderness. Lots of dangers out there. Shadrin, Gars, maybe a Cathrop or two. I think we'd all be safer if we travelled together. Don't you?" Richard pushed.

"I just beat the Seeker. I think I'll be fine. Your concern is touching though." Ben replied still staring at his beer.

"Well, the weather also looks like it going to be turning for the worse. Rain's coming. Wouldn't it be easier on all of us if we travelled together? That way we could each lend a hand in building shelters. It's easier to build a shelter with eight hands rather than two." Richard continued to push.

"I travel alone Seeker!" Ben said raising his voice just slightly to hammer home his point.

"Well, don't you think that lots of people will have heard about your victory today?" Richard asked.

"Your point?" Ben asked.

"Well, they'll know that you have a heavy purse right now. That would make you a prime target for bandits. Even with your skills I doubt you could hold off a whole group. I mean wouldn't it make a lot more sense if we -"

"By the spirits, you don't quit do you!" Ben screamed as he slammed his beer on the bar and got up to face the Seeker.

"You don't know the half of it!" came the reply from the Mord'Sith standing next to the door as if she were guarding it. Ben hadn't noticed her before. Good thing. He ignored her.

"Look Seeker you want me to travel with you? Fine! On one condition, every town we stop at you help me earn some money from the townsfolk."

"How do you propose I do that?" Richard asked.

"We fight." Ben replied.

"I'm not going to help you swindle innocent people out of their money!"

"I never said we would. People will pay a pretty penny to see the Seeker and the man who defeated the Seeker in a fight. No need for betting or swindling. We just charge a fee for our talents. What do you say? Is it a deal?" Ben said as he extended out his right hand.

Richard thought for a second. The Mord'Sith crossed her arms in a huff, apparently not pleased at all with the proposal. A slow smile crept across Richard's face as he reached out his hand to shake Ben's.

"Deal." He said.

"Great that means its going to take twice as long to get Kahlan back to Aydindril. You realize that don't you?" The Mord'Sith screamed across the bar.

"Cara!" was all Richard said.

It seemed to have the desired effect. With a sneer she crossed her arms again and stared off to her right.

"We're just about packed and ready to go. We were hoping to get a few hours of travelling in tonight before we need to stop. Is that alright?" Richard said turning back to Ben.

"Works for me. I'll get packed and ready to go. Just give me a few minutes." Ben said as he finished off the rest of the pint of beer in one big gulp and headed out the door past the Mord'Sith.

"We'll meet you in the town square!" Richard called after him.

Ben gave a wave as he moved out the door to indicate he had heard.

* * *

Kahlan had her Confessor's face on. It was a technique her mother had taught long ago when she was young. She showed no emotion. A Confessor's power destroyed the person it was released on. That person ceased to be who they were and became completely devoted to the one who had confessed them, so devoted, in fact, that they would die if ordered by their mistress to do so. Not kill themselves, they would die. Their devotion to their mistress was so great that their hearts would stop beating and they would fall dead on the spot. Kahlan had lost count of how many confessions she had taken like this. She was glad for that. However, each one still left a lasting impression on her psyche. One in particular stood out in her mind.

When she was still a young Confessor, young girls were mysteriously disappearing from the town of Grey Wood. In a span of two months nine girls had gone missing without a trace left. After an exhaustive investigation the constable had arrested a man named Nigel. Nigel had never been a suspect in the crime. He had always been an upstanding member of the community. A member of many of the town's councils and, just the year, before had been named the town's most eligible bachelor at their annual harvest festival. No one had even the slightest inkling that Nigel could possibly have been involved, until the constable had gone to dinner at Nigel's house one night. Sitting at the dinner table, the constable noticed that Nigel was wearing a bracelet. At first he thought nothing of it until he noticed that the bracelet had small heart and flower charms decorating it. Not exactly the type of jewelry a man would wear. Then the constable remembered that a mother of one of the missing girls had told him that the girl was wearing a bracelet similar to the one Nigel wore that night when she had gone missing. Nigel, of course, had denied any guilt and had said that he had found the bracelet while out on a walk. Since neither his guilt nor his innocence could be proven, Kahlan had been asked to receive his confession.

Kahlan arrived at Grey Wood and confessed him as she had been asked. She ordered him to tell her the entire truth as it pertained to the matter. Unfortunately, Nigel had been the one who had kidnapped not only the girl whose bracelet he wore, but all nine. Kahlan stood and listened as he laid out every aspect of his crime, from how he had watched and waited for weeks until each girl was alone to kidnap them, to how he had bound them, beat them, gouged out their eyes so they couldn't see the beating coming (he said it was more entertaining when they weren't expecting it), poured boiling water down their throats so they couldn't scream, broke their legs so they couldn't run, and then raped them repeatedly. Then, once the deed was done, he chopped them up into pieces and buried each piece in a different place so that no trace of them could ever really be found. All this done to girls not even ten years old. She listened as this monster laid out every aspect of his depraved and sick mind and then asked if it pleased her to hear it. It was times like that that her Confessor's face was needed, when she couldn't allow her emotions to get the better of her.

Now, however, she was using her Confessor's face to mask how angry she was. She was fuming. Richard still had not apologized or even tried to explain why he had used her as he had earlier in the day. A kiss! How could he be so insensitive? When he and Cara had returned with four horses instead of just three she became even more confused. They hadn't needed four horses since Zedd had left them to travel on ahead to the Wizard's Keep in Aydindril.

"Is Zedd going to be meeting us on the way?" She asked.

"No. We're going to be having some company," had been Richard's reply as he smiled and indicated for her to look behind him.

To Kahlan's surprise she saw Ben trotting along to catch up with Cara and Richard. What was in Richard's head? First he promised a kiss from her to this man and now he was to become their travelling companion? A man who was a complete stranger to all of them and who had defeated Richard in a fight. This was folly. She could see it, by the look on Cara's face it was obvious that she also could. Why couldn't Richard? As she watched Ben coming, Richard turned back around and smiled at her. It was then she saw it, the look in Richard's eyes.

Richard had the knack of being able to completely focus on something. He somehow was able to drown everything else in the world out and concentrate solely on his goal. It was one of the traits of a Seeker. It was one of the things that made him so dangerous. No matter what, he could pursue his goal to the end. When he did, he got a look in his eyes. "The raptor's gaze" Kahlan called it. That was the look that he had in his eyes right then. But why? What was it about this man that had Richard so focused? So focused that he even neglected to consider her feelings. Kahlan just couldn't understand.

They had travelled for a few hours. Richard in the lead, Kahlan following close behind, followed by Ben, with Cara bringing up the rear, no doubt keeping a very careful eye on their new companion. At one point during the journey Kahlan stole a look back at Cara and noticed that she had the reins of her horse in one hand and one of her agiels at the ready in the other. Cara wasn't taking any chances when it came to this man. Despite how tired they all were. He had defeated Richard after all.

After a few hours they all had agreed that they should set up camp and try and get some food and rest before they travelled any further. Kahlan now sat on a log staring at the fire Richard had started, Confessor's face on, boiling underneath the surface. Ben sat opposite her on another log, he had drug to the fire, sharpening his sword. Richard was hard at working building a quick lean-to shelter against a large oak tree. And Cara was vigorously chopping fire wood.

"Hey Mistress Lumberjack, you think when your done chopping you could build a big sign declaring that the Seeker and his companions are going to be sleeping here for the night? I mean, by the spirits, you're making such a racket over there it's a wonder the entire Midlands doesn't know we're here." Ben called over to Cara.

"Oh and you have a better way?" Cara replied placing her hands on her hips and scowling at him.

Ben grunted, laying his sword gingerly against the log he was sitting on, and approached the Mord'Sith. Kahlan wondered how smart this man really was. Approaching an axe wielding Mord'Sith you had just insulted was far from intelligent. When he reached Cara he bent down picked up a small piece of wood and broke it in half.

"Break it. We don't need a gigantic bonfire tonight. We won't be up much longer. I know Mord'Sith tend to look for any excuse to be violent even if it means mutilating inanimate objects, but I'm tired, the Mother Confessor looks tired, and I'm sure the Seeker is tired. The last thing we need is to announce our presence to anyone or anything that may be out there." He said as he pointed to the ring of dark trees outside the light cast by the fire.

"I'm not tired." Cara said as Ben turned and headed back toward his sword.

Ben rolled his eyes.

"No I'm sure you're not. I mean, I'm sure Mord'Sith always nearly ride their horses into Maple trees when they're travelling, sort of a game of chicken right? Only you know that the tree isn't going to move, making it all the more dangerous. How did you get to be so brave Mistress Cara?" Kahlan smiled. It looked like Cara had found her match for stubbornness .

"I did **not** nearly ride into a Maple tree!"

"Actually, you know what? You're right. I think it was actually a Poplar, now that I think about it."

"Is there a problem?" Cara asked with venom in her voice

"Excuse me?" Ben said turning back to her.

"I mean, have I offended you in some way? Cause to be completely honest you have been nothing but antagonistic to me since we left town. Seriously, if you have a problem with me, then state it. Otherwise I would suggest that you exercise more caution when addressing a Mord'Sith." She said removing her agiels from their holsters.

"Alright you two, stop it." Richard said. "The last thing we need after a long day is to be at each other's throats."

"He started it." Cara said putting her agiels away and crossing her arms.

"I think it was actually your horsemanship that started it," was Ben's reply. Kahlan smiled again, despite how angry she still was at Richard.

"You know what-"

"Stop it now, both of you." Richard reiterated. "It looks like the stew you started earlier is ready Cara. I think we could all use something to eat before we go to bed."

Putting their bickering aside Cara and Ben both came and sat on the log opposite Kahlan while Richard joined her on her log. Cara served each of them a bowl, giving Ben's bowl a bit of a shove when he reached to accept it, nearly spilling the entire bowl on his lap. With an incredulous smile he ignored her.

The stew was surprisingly good. Cara hadn't ever really been very good at cooking, probably a result of having been raised as a Mord'Sith most of her life. She had become used to being waited on by slaves and servants, while she applied herself in the fine art of torture and the occupation of protecting the Lord Rahl, leaving her culinary skills wanting. Kahlan had spent some time in their travels from the Pillars of Creation teaching Cara how to cook better. She was glad to see it was paying off.

They all ate as fast as they could. The stew was hot so each spoonful required a great deal of blowing to cool it to a consumable temperature. They sat in silence for what seemed like an hour until Richard broke it.

"Very good, Cara." He said.

"Thank you." She said as she gave a self-satisfied smile to Ben who had expressed his skepticism of her culinary skills when she had set about the task. Ben only rolled his eyes.

"So, Ben… I wasn't just trying to butter you up when I said that you fought really well today. You truly did."

The others nodded their agreement, even Cara.

"And that last flurry you used… Wow! I don't think I've ever seen anyone use anything quite like it. Is there anyway you can teach me?"

"You can't fight the way I do, Seeker." Ben replied without even looking up from his bowl. Cara choked on her stew.

"You think that Richard, the Seeker of Truth, the man who defeated the Keeper himself can't learn your simple little technique?" She said with indignation oozing from every syllable.

"Cara!" Richard reprimanded. "I really would like to learn and I'm a fast learner too. Please! I really think it would be interesting."

Ben sighed and put his bowl down.

"Okay, though it isn't really a combat technique. You already have the needed skill with the sword, Seeker. It's more of a decision, an approach to fighting than anything else."

"Okay, teach me."

"Fine. To fight the way I do you need to follow three rules. First, you need to always be prepared to fight. No matter where, no matter when, no matter who or why, you always have to be prepared, at the ready."

"That sounds like the last two years of my life. I think I can handle that one." Richard replied. How true Kahlan thought.

"Okay. Second, you have to study your opponent. You have to know him better than he knows himself. You have to know when he is going to make a move even before he knows. And you have to do this in the few seconds when confrontation becomes conflict."

"I think I can do that, especially with your help."

"Good. And finally third, and this is the hardest one… in battle… when you're fighting your opponent… when steel meets steel and your life hangs in the balance…" Ben said as he looked away. "You have to not care if you live or die!"

Richard eyes opened wide. Ben looked at Richard through his eyebrows. Richard ever so slightly turned and looked at Kahlan. Ben smiled.

"I thought so," Ben said, "You fight well, Seeker. Very well, in fact better than I've ever seen…" then he looked Kahlan in the eye, " but you have too much to live for."

The silence was thick in the air.

"And you don't!" Cara finally said.

Ben quickly turned to face the Mord'Sith as if he were going to scream at her, but gained control over his emotions.

"I have nothing to live for _Mistress Cara_." He said, emphasizing the last two words to show his disdain.

"Nothing!" Cara said.

"CARA!" Kahlan screamed.

Ben raised his hand to indicate it was alright. Staring into the flames he said.

"Have any of you ever heard the story of Andre of Aroer?"

They all shook their heads no.

"I wouldn't have thought so. It's an old story, an ancient story from back before the Great War. Back thousands of years ago a split had formed between two factions of wizards. One faction believed that the gift was the spark of the creator in each and every one of us, and as such was to be treasured, studied, and used."

"That is what the gift is, isn't it?" Cara asked.

"If that's the case then how do you explain those who have no gift whatsoever? How do you explain those who are so ungifted that magic doesn't even touch them? Are they completely devoid of the creator's touch, the creator's love?"

None of them had an answer. Ben continued the story.

"Meanwhile the other faction believed that magic was to blame for all the problems in the world. That the use of magic, unfairly gave certain people undeserved advantages over others and so the gift should be weeded out of humanity."

"Wizards thought this?" Richard said.

"Why would wizards be looking to eliminate the gift? Wouldn't that mean that they would need to be eliminated as well?" Kahlan asked. She couldn't believe she had never been told this story before. All her life in Aydindril being raised by wizard's and none of them had ever even mentioned anything like this.

"Perhaps. Perhaps they were so vehemently devoted to the goal of eliminating what they saw as inequality created by magic that they were willing to sacrifice their own lives for the cause. Or perhaps they saw the opportunity such an endeavor presented. If they rallied enough to their cause and eliminated everyone else with the gift, they could then rule unopposed using the very thing they claimed to want to eliminate as a means to maintain power. They could use the advantages that magic provided to reign. Either way it really doesn't pertain to this story except to establish the fact that there were two opposing views when it came to magic. The debate actually became so heated and so emotional that the philosophical split actually caused a physical split. Tensions over this issue became so bad that violence broke out between the two sides.

In the streets of Aroer, the capital city of the Midlands in those days and the place where wizard's would gather due to the vast libraries there that held countless volumes of books on magic, the two factions fought, a brief battle with few combatants that resulted in not only some wizards dying but also some civilians. So, in order to avoid anymore such conflict over this issue the two sides parted ways. Those that held to the belief that magic was a gift from the Creator headed north, eventually settling in Aydindril. And those who believed that magic should be eliminated from the world of the living moved south into the Old World.

However, the absence of the other side did not help to quell any animosity toward them. In fact the absence made it worse. Without the other side there to present their case in opposition to the other, the wizard's of each sect became zealots to their cause and grew to hate those who believed otherwise. No debate occurred. You either believed or not. As tensions again built to an even higher level than before, rumors of impending war began to circulate. One side heard that the other was massing an army, so in response they mustered one of their own, news of which, of course, reached the other side who then built an even larger army, and so on.

As rumors of the impending war spread the wizards in Aydindril became worried. In the haste to leave Aroer, they had left the bulk of the books in the libraries. Realizing that the other side was aware of this as well, they knew that they needed some way to insure that those books would not be lost to the wizards of the Old World, who would no doubt destroy them. Those books represented knowledge and power, and needed to be protected at all costs.

Now, they had massed a huge army of wizards, however, such a force would take a great deal of time to move all the way down to Aroer. So, in order to insure that Aroer would remain secure until the main force arrived, they sent one of their most promising young students, one of the most powerful wizards to ever walk the world of the living, a man by the name of Andre.

Knowing that the fate of the world potentially hung on his decision, Andre agreed to undertake the task. He set off with his family, a wife and a little girl, to Aroer. It was a long and difficult journey, but eventually they made it. That very same night an advanced raiding party from the Old World's army came to the city.

Now Andre, though one of the most powerful wizards ever, was also a pacifist. Though he recognized the threat that the Old World represented, he also believed that there could be a peaceful solution to the problem. So, when the raiding party demanded to see the leader of the city Andre went to meet them hoping to maintain peace. He tried to reason with the wizards but got no where. They were stuck in their beliefs. Finally fed up with Andre and his attempts to reason with them, the leader of the raiding party lashed out striking Andre on the head knocking him unconscious. When Andre finally came to he was shocked to learn that the brutes from the Old World had raided the town and taken every last child under the age of eleven. "

"Why?" asked Cara.

"No one really knew. However, it did take all the fight out of the townsfolk. So that was the perceived reason. Andre, his daughter among the missing, however realized that his idealistic fantasies of a peaceful solution to this conflict were nothing more than that… fantasies. So he set about studying in the libraries."

"Studying?" Cara said incredulously.

"Well, he knew that this wouldn't be the last attack. And with the fight all but gone from the people of Aroer, since they were grieving over their children that they presumed were dead, he knew that he was the only hope to keep the vast knowledge of those libraries out of the hands of the Old World. So he set about trying to find some type of spell that could aid him in protecting the town all by himself."

"Did he find it?" Richard asked balancing on the edge of the log, thoroughly intrigued by the story.

"He did. After weeks of study, he found a spell-form for a light web."

"A light web?" Asked Richard.

"It's a very powerful spell that sets off a kind of explosion when triggered. Think Dragon's Breath but on a much larger scale. It is a very dangerous type of spell-form and can only be mastered by the most skilled of wizards." Kahlan responded.

"Very good." Ben said.

"Well, he found this spell-form and set about casting it. It took him a month to be sure he had it right and that all elements of the spell were in place, but eventually he did manage to cast it. The problem was it required him to trigger the spell, so every day and every night Andre would walk the walls of the town, keeping an eye out for the next attack. A few weeks later the main force of the Old World appeared on the plains outside of Aroer. Their number was too vast to count, perhaps in the millions. Point being Andre's, Aroer's and perhaps the entire New World's only hope was the light web he had cast around the town. The next morning the enemy forces advanced on the town. Andre prepared to cast the light web. However, just before he was about to cast it he noticed a terrible thing… It was not soldiers on the front lines of the enemy force, it was the children of Aroer leading the way. Apparently they had been held captive all the time. Knowing that the people of Aroer would not fire on their children, the enemy had bound and gagged them and marched them in front of their front lines. Leading the way directly in the center of the front line was Andre's daughter.

Andre was left with a terrible choice. Should he not trigger the light web, save his daughter, but allow the Old World brutes to ravage the town and its people, and destroy the vast knowledge contained in the libraries, the very knowledge that could save the lives of millions of people in the New World? Or should he trigger the web, killing his beloved daughter yet save countless lives by destroying this invading force from the Old World?"

"What did he do?" Cara asked seeming now to have completely forgotten that she and Ben had just been at each other's throats.

"He triggered it."

"He did?"

"He triggered it, destroying the enemy force and all the children of Aroer along with them, yet saving millions upon millions of others. A week later the New World's army arrived and whisked the books back to the Wizard's Keep in Aydindril and a few other select places.

Of course that wasn't the end of the war. As I'm sure you all know the war raged on for years, however the knowledge that Andre saved in those books most certainly helped the New World prevail."

"What happened to Andre?"

"Well, though he saved millions of people by doing what he did, Andre's wife and the people of Aroer never forgave him for murdering their children. They never really understood that he had no choice. All throughout the Midlands he became known as the "Butcher of Aroer" and could never find a friendly face anywhere he went."

"Why didn't the wizards who sent him to do what he did stand up for him?" Cara asked.

"They were too busy fighting a war to worry about one wizard who had only done as he had been ordered. Andre went into seclusion and died a lonely hermit. One of the most powerful wizards ever to walk the earth died in a hole in the ground."

"That's so sad." Cara said.

"You know the one thing that always bothered me about that story? Had Andre just acted the first time the Old World advance force had showed up, he could have not only saved the books but also his daughter's life." Ben said staring into the fire.

"Is that why 'life isn't fair', Ben?" Richard asked.

Ben looked up from the flames into to Richard's eyes with a look of confused anger on his face. It looked as if he were about to leap over the fire and strangle Richard. Then a slow smile crept across his face as he shook his head.

"You truly are the Seeker of Truth aren't you?" He said very softly.

"What happened Ben?" was all Richard said.


	4. Ben's Story

Kahlan felt like she was falling. Her stomach dropped to her ankles. She couldn't breathe. Her Confessor's face was gone. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have doubted Richard? Now she understood why he had been so transfixed with Ben. For as long as she had known Richard, everything he ever did, he did to help others, even if it meant sacrificing himself. How could she have let her emotions cloud her vision? How could she have been so selfish? She should have trusted Richard. Now she understood that he hadn't been ignorant of her feelings. Now she understood the pain it must have caused him to offer something as precious as a kiss from her to another man. Now she understood what Richard had understood. In a split second, Richard had recognized that Ben was in pain. All Richard wanted to do was help. What an arrogant, self-righteous fool she had been.

She still couldn't catch a breath. The shock of finally realizing the reasons behind Richard's actions was like being thrown into an ocean of icy water. She reached down to pick her jaw up off the ground, but it wasn't there. She looked into Richard's eyes, completely focused on Ben. The raptor's gaze. She saw Cara sitting motionless next to Ben staring into the flames. She watched as a single tear slowly trailed down Ben's cheek, yet his face showed no emotion.

"Darken Rahl," was all Ben could manage to say, staring at the fire, his voice wavering just the slightest bit. He bit his lip and sighed, refusing to wipe the tear from his cheek as it snaked down to his jaw and dripped onto his chest. For what seemed like days silence engulfed them. It's embrace cold, dark, and empty. Finally Ben sighed again and continued.

"I was raised in a small town just south of the Azirith Plains called Perj."

Cara looked up into his eyes as if the name rang a bell in her head, but she remained silent.

"When I was six my mother died giving birth to my two twin sisters. My father was the town carpenter so he was very busy, and so the task fell to me to raise my sisters."

"That must have been a lot for you to take on at such a young age." Richard said.

"It made me grow up pretty quick, but I wouldn't change it for anything.

I remember sitting in the big oak rocking chair my father had made, holding one in each of my arms, singing to them, staring into their eyes… They had green eyes. The most beautiful green eyes I've ever seen. "

"What were their names?" Kahlan asked with a smile.

"Seh'ra and Aimee."

Cara winced.

Ben paused, still staring into the fire, while another single tear slid down his cheek and dripped on his chest, still no emotion on his face.

"What happened?" Cara asked.

"I told you… Darken Rahl. One autumn day, when I was thirteen, the D'haran army appeared on the hillside outside of our village. Fear and panic spread throughout the town. We had heard the rumors that Darken Rahl had begun a war with the Midlands and was conscripting men for his army, but either naivety or foolish hope refused to let us believe that we would be affected. Nevertheless they came. They moved into town, capturing every man under the age of thirty. Any that resisted were killed, so most of us, myself included, went peacefully. They bound our hands and legs, loaded us into wagons and took us to the town hall, my father's pride and joy.

When I was four my father had been commissioned by our town's mayor to build a grand town hall, one that would bring any visitor to their knees just by looking at it. It took him months to lay out the plans but finally he built it, and I helped. It was the most magnificent building I had ever seen, five stories tall with a grand balcony at the top for public addresses. The doors were made from the strongest imported woods from the Old World, strong because if the town were invaded the town hall would serve as our refuge. We reinforced the windows so that nothing could break them. We created a fortress. It towered over every other building in the town. It towered over the entire country side. For days you could see the majestic town hall of Perj. My mother was so proud.

Unfortunately not everyone was deemed fit to serve in Darken Rahl's army. So they took those deemed unfit and forced them into the town hall. There were so many, in fact, they spilled out onto the balcony on the top floor. Women, and babies, old men, and the handicapped all crammed into that one building. Then they made us kneel in the dirt and as we watched they lit the building on fire. In horror we watched as our friends and family members burned. The heat became so intense that it drove those on the balcony mad. At one point they actually began throwing themselves off the balcony in an attempt to avoid the flames. I still remember watching their bodies tumble through the air and that sickening thud combined with a horrible cracking sound as their bodies hit the ground and shattered.

The D'harans made us watch until every single ember was extinguished."

"Why?"

"To show us that resistance to Darken Rahl was futile.

I can still hear the screams sometimes, when it's quiet. I can still see those hands, silhouetted in flames, pounding against those reinforced, unbreakable windows." Ben said still staring into the flames.

"What happened to your sisters?" Kahlan asked. "Were they in the building?"

"No." He said still showing no emotion. "I mean, I thought they were but they were actually taken."

"By who?" Richard asked.

Ben looked into Richard's eyes, and then with a sneer he said, "By the Mord'Sith," as he looked out of the corner of his eye at Cara. Cara returned the gaze.

The silence returned, only this time it wasn't empty. The tension was so thick Kahlan found it hard to breathe again. Ben finally continued, gaining control of his emotions.

"In the confusion of the day, I had lost track of my sisters. I assumed them dead along with the rest of the people in the town hall, but just as we were being loaded back into the wagons, I saw off in the distance young girls bound and being led away by Mord'Sith. I called for my sisters and saw, as they turned, those beautiful eyes.

That moment changed everything for me. I thought that I had lost it all. My home, my friends, my family, and my freedom I thought all gone. I had resolved in my mind to go to the front lines and die, so that I could be reunited with my loved ones. But those eyes… those beautiful eyes changed everything. I knew I had to rescue my sisters. I resolved to learn everything I could about combat and when I was ready, I would free my sisters. They were taken north to the People's Palace and I went west to the front lines.

It didn't take long for me to make a name for myself within my unit. Since we were on the front lines most of the army was made up of men like me, the expendable, everyday soldiers who were nothing more than pawns. Taken away from everything they held dear, they had no spirit, no will to fight, or learn to fight. The difference, the edge I had over all of them was those green eyes.

We fought many battles and as my comrades fell beside me, I remained, not because I had any skill at that point, mind you, I was still a young boy. I simply had enough hatred in my heart to kill millions more than I did. For valor in combat, I was promoted, and stories began to circulate about me, eventually reaching the ear of the commanding officer of my unit, Commander Drake."

"Commander Drake?" Cara said.

"You knew him?" Richard replied.

"During the war with the Midlands, he was one of the most successful D'haran officers of them all. That is, of course, until you killed him at the Battle of Liven Bridge."

"Oh, I had no idea."

"You had no idea?" Kahlan said incredulously.

"Well, I've killed a lot of people Kahlan. It's hard to keep track of them all."

"Anyway," Ben continued, "the commander and I became quick friends. We thought in similar ways. He trusted me. He even promoted me to the rank of Captain.

Luckily for me he had in his possession exactly what I had been searching for since the day of my capture, countless volumes on the art of combat. It was all well and good to be trained by the officers in the ways of combat, but it still felt empty. Those officers only knew how to fight from experience, they hadn't studied at all. Their techniques were rudimentary at best. However, those books the commander had contained centuries of knowledge on how to fight, not only techniques, but also the philosophy behind them. For years I spent hours on end in his tents, studying, learning, absorbing. Every new battle presented a chance to test my newly acquired knowledge."

"You spent years doing nothing but studying sword play?" Richard asked.

"Years upon years, Seeker, and not only sword play, any type of combat you can think of, from unarmed combat to mounted. There was even a chapter in one book about fighting while riding a dragon. I knew in order to escape I would have to be better than every soldier in the D'haran military, those books gave me the knowledge I needed to become that. However, I still wasn't certain I could escape. I knew I needed to in order to save my sisters, but I was never completely sure that I could do it without being injured or worse caught. "

"What would have happened if you had been caught?" Kahlan asked.

Ben looked at Cara and said, "Would you like to do the honors?"

With a devious smile Cara obliged.

"He would have been beaten mercilessly till every bone in his body was broken at least twice. Then they would have removed his fingernails and replaced them with burning embers. His eyes would have been gouged out. Then, starting at his toes, they would have skinned him alive. Slowly though, just slow enough so that he would have lived through it. They would have then disemboweled him and impaled him on a stake to die a long, slow, agonizing death. And that's only if he hadn't killed anyone in his attempt to dessert his post."

Ben shook his head, but still showed no emotion.

"So wait, you said that the books you studied were full of not only technique but philosophy. Is that where you got your three rules?" Kahlan asked.

"The first two. The last one I learned after I left the D'harans."

"So what happened?" Kahlan asked. "Did you escape?"

"Well, I never got the chance actually. See, some rebel named Richard Cypher went and killed Darken Rahl. With Rahl dead, chaos enveloped the entire D'haran army. Entire units disbanded, the entire army fell apart and retreated. So I left and headed to the People's Palace to rescue my sisters.

The journey took me weeks, but eventually I arrived, only to find that my sisters had been taken not to the People's Palace but to a Mord'Sith temple just outside of Stowcroft."

Cara again looked at Ben but said nothing.

"I went there and found them."

"You can't just walk into a Mord'Sith temple." Cara said.

"I didn't. I ran. The moment I caught sight of the temple every ounce of rage and anger at what had been taken from me that autumn day in Perj welled to the surface. I was death incarnate. I know it was a battle, fighting all those Mord'Sith, but all I can remember is blood, buckets of blood. I finally fought my way to the inner sanctum of the temple and there found my sisters.

When I saw them I felt like a flower getting its first rays of sun after a long night. I lost any composure I had and ran to them screaming that I had come to rescue them and that we could finally be a family again. I wrapped my arms around my sisters and was surprised to feel a terrible pain in my sides. They had touched me with their agiels. In horror I looked into their green eyes, those eyes that I had stared into every night for so many years as I rocked them to sleep. When I looked, do you know what I saw?

Nothing. Not a thing. Any trace of my sisters was completely gone, replaced with some vile creature. I took a step back and with tears running down my face told them that all I wanted to do was be a family again. They looked at me with those empty eyes and said that I had just killed their family. As they charged at me, I parried their blows and…. and…"

"And?" Cara said raising her eyebrows.

"And drove my sword through their black hearts!" Ben said, finally taking his eyes from the flames to stare Cara in the eye.

"You killed your own sisters?" Cara said.

"No, I mean yes, I mean, well not that day. You see those things that I killed that day weren't my sisters. They were monsters created by Darken Rahl and your kind Mistress Cara. Had I allowed them to live they would have no doubt killed me, but also enslaved and broken other girls. Other families would have been ripped apart just like mine. Those things were not my sisters.

My sisters died long before that day. They died on that autumn day in Perj. My sisters, my father, my friends and family all died that day when I didn't act. You see, just like Andre of Aroer had I just acted in the first place I might have been able to save all of them. But I didn't, and so all of their blood is on my hands.

You see, I have nothing to live for. Everything has been taken from me by Darken Rahl. That's why I no longer care if I live or die."

* * *

Kahlan couldn't sleep. Even if the terrible images from Ben's story hadn't made her restless, Cara tossing and turning next to her would have kept her awake just the same. She closed her eyes again trying to forget the sad details of Ben's life, but every time she did she could only see those two lonely tears snaking down Ben's cheek and dripping onto his chest.

Cara turned violently onto her side again.

When Kahlan had fled the Midlands in search of the Seeker, her sister, Dennee, had accompanied her. When they were mere miles away from the boundary to Westland, her sister Dennee had been shot by the D'haran quad pursuing them. The fate of the world relied on Kahlan finding the Seeker and delivering to him The Book of Counted Shadows. Dennee insisted that Kahlan leave her. She had left her sister to die. She could have been struck dead by the Keeper himself when she had made that decision, and been in less pain, but make it she did. She felt like her heart had been ripped from her chest and tossed into the fires of the Underworld as she left her sister there to die. Even still she hadn't killed Dennee. She couldn't even begin to imagine what Ben had gone through in having to kill his own sisters, even if it had been to save the lives of others.

When she closed her eyes all she could see was Ben running his sisters through, tears running down his pain-stricken face. She opened her eyes again, unable to shake the mental image.

Cara twisted and turned again.

"What's wrong?" She whispered to Cara.

"I can't sleep." Cara replied as she sat up.

"Ben's story got to you too, huh?"

"To say the least. Kahlan, I have to tell you something and you have to promise not to tell anyone, not Ben, not Zedd, not even Richard."

Kahlan looked at Richard sleeping not far off, "I promise, Cara. "

"When Mord'Sith are finally broken they are welcomed into the Sisterhood of the Agiel. However, before we can fully be accepted, we are given, as a right of passage, the privilege of breaking a prisoner. Generally a new Mord'Sith is simply given the task of breaking a prisoner of war, but the woman who trained me thought that I had great potential. So when it was time for my passage into the Sisterhood, she gave me the honor not of breaking a prisoner, but of training two young girls to become Mord'Sith. Two girls from Perj…"

Kahlan's head was whirling from what she was hearing. "No, Cara, don't tell me…"

"Seh'ra and Aimee were there names." Cara said as she could no longer control herself. Placing her head in her hands, tears began to fall.

Kahlan looked behind Cara at Ben who, having agreed to take the first watch, was patrolling the camp's perimeter. She reached out to touch Cara's shoulder but Cara shrugged her hand away.

"I destroyed his family. **I **took everything from him."

"Cara, you were broken as well. You didn't have a choice. The torture they put you through took away that choice. You can't blame yourself."

"It gets worse…"

"What do you mean?"

Cara sniffed and wiped the tears that were rolling down her cheeks away.

"His father didn't die in the fire."

"What?"

"As the final test before becoming a Mord'Sith, girls are required to kill their fathers. His father, along with every other father of the girls we captured from Perj that day, wasn't killed in the fire. They were taken along with the girls to the Stowcroft temple. I broke their father and made him tell his girls that he had given them to us because, as a carpenter, he had no use for daughters. They killed him. I made them kill him. What kind of monster am I?"

"Cara, I know you. That isn't you. Would you stop and listen to yourself. You didn't do any of that. Darken Rahl made you. Over the course of the last year, I've come to know you Cara, and I've come to find that you are good. You have a good heart. Nothing that you did in your former life has any bearing on who you are now. Truthfully you have a lot in common with Ben."

"What? We don't have anything in common except that I'm the one who took everything from him."

"Cara, you two have an awful lot in common. Just like Ben, you thought that everything in your life was gone. Just like Ben, you feared the worst about your family. Just like Ben, you had everything taken from you by Darken Rahl. Now, Richard brought Ben with us because he wants to help him, but I think out of all of us, Cara, you have the greatest potential to help. I think you, and you alone can truly relate to the way Ben feels. You should talk to him."

"Kahlan, he can't stand me. What good will that do?"

"Cara, just like you, Richard is trying to bring Ben back from the madness caused by Darken Rahl. Out of all of us, only you truly know what Ben has gone through. I had to leave my sister to die, but I didn't kill her. And I only left her because the fate of the world depended on it. I can't relate to Ben. Richard nearly killed me when Denna captured him, but he resisted. Truthfully Richard can't relate to Ben. Even though, you may have once taken everything from Ben, you now have the chance to give at least part of it back.

"I should talk to him."

"I knew you'd see it my way." Kahlan said with a playful smile. "Go!"

* * *

Ben was laying on a large rock, staring up at the stars. He heard the footsteps coming but could tell they were coming from the camp, so he assumed it was the Seeker coming take the next watch. He let out a long exhale. Maybe sleep would help. It had been a long day and laying out his story for the Seeker and his friends had taken even more out of him. Usually he didn't open up to strangers like he had, but there was something different about Richard, something genuine. Ben smiled. Richard was a good man Ben could tell, and his companions only proved it. They were loyal to him. They trusted him. They were a _family_.

The thought wiped the smile right off of Ben's face. It brought him back to the reality of his life. His family was gone and he could never get it back.

The footsteps were very close now.

"This is what you call keeping watch?"

Ben sat up and to his surprise found not the Seeker standing in front of him, but the Mord'Sith, Cara, hands on her hips, her red leather sticking out in the darkness like a flame.

"What do **you** want?" He said, not in the mood for another argument.

With an awkward smile she said, "Well Kahla… _**I**_ wanted to talk to you."

Ben couldn't believe it. The last thing he wanted at the end of this long day was to talk to her.

"So talk." He said raising his eyebrows and shaking his head.

"Well, I just… I wanted to…. I… I just wanted to say that I think we have a lot more in common than you realize."

"We what?"

"We have a lot more in com…"

"No, I heard what you said, I just can't believe you actually said it. Let's get this straight right here and now Mistress Cara. You and I have **nothing** in common! Answer me this, how many people have you killed in the name of Darken Rahl?"

"What do mean?" Cara asked.

"How many, just give me a round number. A thousand? Ten thousand?"

Cara's scowl returned. "Oh, and how many have you killed Captain Meiffert? Don't try and make it seem like the fact that I've killed people makes me any more of a monster than you! How many have you killed, huh? Don't try and sound all high and mighty Captain!"

Ben raised his eyebrows, "Maybe you're right. I have killed a lot of people and I regret it. And that's the difference between me and you, Mistress. Anyone that I killed, I killed so that one day I might be able to save my sisters."

"Yeah, and how did that work out for you?"

Ben gave her a look that could have killed a Shadrin.

"Why did you want to talk to me?"

"Because I wanted to tell you that I know what you are going through! I know how you feel, you arrogant, pompous, pretentious jerk!"

"You know how I feel? You know how I feel!"

Ben got inches from Cara's face and shoved a finger at her.

"Listen! I have neither the time nor the inclination to stand here and listen to someone who represents everything that took my life from me tell me that they know how I feel! So you can take your feelings wrap them up around your agiels and shove them up your ass for all I care, but don't for one second try to tell me that somewhere in that black heart of yours you have anything that resembles compassion or understanding for what I've had to go through. Do me a favor and just stop!"

Just then Richard arrived to take over the next shift.

"Next watch." He said.

Ben gave Cara that Shadrin-killing look again and stormed off.

"What was that about?" Richard asked.

Cara just looked at him. With a sneer on her face she threw her hands up in the air and let out a frustrated grunt as she too stormed off. Richard, confused, just shrugged.

* * *

The next morning Ben was gone.


	5. We've Found Him

The temple stood out from the countryside like a beacon, a single red stone obelisk dominating the landscape, a pillar to everything cruel and unusual. Though it wasn't unusual to her, she was a Mord'Sith. For nearly all of her life she had called all these things that others called unusual and evil, her own. She was a Sister of the Agiel, everything about this place felt like home.

She stood staring out the uppermost window of the temple. Behind her screams of agony echoed through the halls. She heard the sickening sound as bone cracked and blood dripped onto the hard stone floors below. She listened as men were broken. Their hearts crushed, they ceased to be who they were, no longer caring for anything but how to please her, their mistress. It was music to her ears.

"Mistress," came a voice from the doorway behind her.

"Yes Reeta." She said not even turning from the window to see the young Mord'Sith, her long black braid matted with blood from today's work.

"Mistress, a messenger from your scouting party has arrived with news. Shall I send him in?"

"Immediately!"

"Yes mistress."

News. Finally. It'd better be good. She wasn't a very patient woman and the lack of news was making her even less patient. They'd better have found him by now. They knew all too well what the consequences of failing her were. The first scouting party she had sent had found him only to fail utterly when trying to capture him. They had been torn asunder. Only one survived to relate the story back to her. Upon hearing of their failure she rounded up a new scouting party from her slaves and, with them watching, decapitated the sole survivor of the first party. First one head… then the other, so that they would understand the consequences of such failure.

As she watched out the window a lone Red-cheeked Falcon circled and dove at an unsuspecting flock of starlings, snatching one right out of the air with its talons. She was that falcon. Circling her prey and when the time came she would dive in and strike. She was growing restless, however. The fire burning inside her was almost too much to bear. The lust for revenge was overpowering. It was all she could think of. All day long she imagined every little horrible thing she would do to him once she had him. At night, she couldn't sleep as she thought about the fact that he was still managing to evade her. She couldn't remember the last good night's sleep she had gotten. It was starting to take its toll. She had to find him… and soon.

"Mistress, the messenger, " Reeta said as she bowed low, not daring to look her in the eye.

She turned from the window and found a skinny young man with slicked blond hair before her. He bowed so low his forehead touched the ground.

"Mistress." He said his limbs visibly shaking out of fear.

This man had once been a commander in the D'haran army. It was amazing how far people could fall. She smiled at seeing him so shaken by her mere presence.

"You have news?" She asked.

"Yes, mistress." He said not removing his forehead from the floor, still shaking.

"Well, you'd better be a good boy and tell me what it is before I lose my patience with you. You don't want that do you?" She said as she stooped down and picked his chin up with her fingers so that he was staring directly into her eyes.

"No, mistress."

"Then what news do you have?"

"We have found him, mistress."

"Then why do I see you groveling at my feet instead of him!" She said shoving his head so that he fell on his side.

"I'm sorry mistress but-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses! I ask you to do one simple thing for your mistress and you can't even succeed at that. You're worthless. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." She screamed picking up her agiel from the cushion next to the window.

"Mistress, please forgive me, but he was travelling with the Seeker!"

"The Seeker?" She said with a look of curiosity, placing the agiel back on the cushion.

"Yes, mistress."

"Interesting."

"We knew that he was a formidable foe on his own, but combined with the Seeker we knew we couldn't capture him for you. So we decided to hang back and wait for an opportune moment when we could take him and his companions off guard, but…"

"But what?" She said, her scowl taking the wind right out of him.

He went silent, his face went pale and he began to shake even more.

"Come now my pet," she said as she stroked his slick greasy hair, "be a good boy and tell your mistress why you still haven't done as she asked you."

"Mistress, he left them."

"He what?"

"The very first night they were camping together, he got into some kind of fight with the Seeker's Mord'SIth and left."

"So he is on his own again?"

"Yes mistress. I only came to relate to you that he will soon be yours. We will not fail you mistress." He said as he sat up straight on his knees, puffed out his chest, and gave a look of resolve. "The men only wait my return, mistress. Then we will take him for you. Have I pleased you mistress?" He asked.

She smiled.

"You've been a very good boy." She said stroking his head again. "But I think, perhaps, before I send you back to your men I'll give you a little reminder of what will happen to you if you fail me. Leave us!" She screamed in Reeta's direction, but she was already out the door by the time the words were out. "Now then, let's have some fun, my pet." She said as she picked up her agiel.


	6. Ebinnisia

Ebinnisia

It had been nearly a week since Ben had left them. Cara had barely spoken a word that entire time, withdrawing into herself. Something had happened between her and Ben, but it was clear Cara wasn't going to talk about it. Richard had no clue what had happened, and Kahlan seemed to be just as in the dark as he was, or if she wasn't she knew how to hide it well. Despite the tension, they had continued on their trek to Aydindril, the weather steadily getting colder as they moved north. The countryside had been breath-taking and he found himself repeatedly looking into Kahlan's eyes and smiling, the magnificent scenery only accentuating her captivating beauty. However, today the scenery had changed.

Richard couldn't believe his eyes. From miles away they had seen the smoke rising from the city, but now immersed in the destruction it was almost too much to take. Ebinnisia, the capital city of Galea had been utterly destroyed. Though Kahlan concealed her emotions behind her Confessor's face, the tears streaking her cheeks betrayed the pain she was truly in. These were her people, her charge. She was the Mother Confessor the ruler of the Midlands. Whatever happened to these people, be it good or bad, was her responsibility.

They continued down the snow covered main street towards the palace. Though the streets were lined with dead bodies, both men and women, young and old, it was nothing compared to the scene outside the city walls. It was evident that the city's defensive force, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, had tried to repel the invading force, but they had been no match. The city walls, along with most of the men, had been blown apart. Wizard's Fire, Kahlan had said.

"See here again." She said as she pointed at the charred outer edges of a gaping hole in one of the buildings lining the road they were walking. It looked like a general store.

"I see, Kahlan, but what wizard in their right mind would do something like this?" He asked.

"One that doesn't value life." Cara said.

Richard nodded with wide eyes. "You two stay here; I'll check this place out."

Richard stepped through the hole into the store and immediately wished he hadn't. The shop had been ravaged. No glass remained in the windows and the stools and chairs had been tossed every which way. In front of him, on the counter was a man's head, clearly the shop owner. His eyelids had been cut off, before the head had been severed, and in his mouth there was some strange bloody object. Richard opened the mouth a little wider only to have the object fall on the floor. Richard quickly moved his foot out of the way and was shocked to find when he looked down that the object was a human heart. As Richard moved further in and looked over the counter he saw the man's broken body. He hadn't only been killed but whoever had killed him had taken great joy in torturing him first.

He moved further in through a doorway to a back room. If the scene in the outer room was horrifying then this room could have stopped his heart cold. This room too had been completely destroyed. Chairs were upended; even the tan and green rug had been torn to pieces. The food supplies in the cabinet on the far wall had been ransacked leaving only a few slices of stale, moldy bread. However, the most horrifying sight was right in front of him. In front of the table in the center of the room stood the nude body of a young woman, the shop keep's daughter no doubt. Her limp limbs hung down at her sides, every single finger on each hand broken. As the brutes that did this to her had raped her, they carved strange designs into her stomach with their knives. Finally after having had their "fun" they had shoved a broom stick into her, propping her up against the table for all to see. Richard also now saw that her chest had been cut open and that her heart was missing.

He understood now why the shopkeeper's eyelids had been removed. He had been forced to watch as they had raped his daughter, then force fed her heart after they were done. Then they had killed him. What kind of monsters could possibly even dream of doing something like this?

"Any survivors?" Cara called out, beginning to stick her head through the hole.

"Don't come in here!" Richard screamed. "I'll be right out." He said as he made his way back toward the opening in the wall, taking one last looked at the pain etched on the shopkeeper's face.

"Survivors?" Kahlan asked as he emerged.

Richard only shook his head. More tears slowly trickled down Kahlan's face.

They continued on towards the palace, things only getting worse, if it were possible, as they got closer. His attempt to shield Cara and Kahlan from the horror of seeing the raped girl turned out to be meaningless, for as they approached the palace the raiding force had abandoned any sense of privacy and had raped women in the streets, then sliced their throats. Cara took in the scene without a second glance, but Kahlan's face grew evermore pain-stricken with every inch of progress they made.

Finally they made it to the palace. The doors like the city walls and the general store had been blown open by what Kahlan said had to be wizard's fire. The stairs leading up to the doors were littered with the bodies of fighting men, apparently having taken their last stand here after retreating from the walls. Inside the palace it was just like the store. Everything was destroyed. Nothing survived the maelstrom of chaos that had descended upon this city.

On the steps leading to the upper floors laid the dead body of a huge man, his muscles even dwarfing Richard's. He wore thick armor that was cutoff at the shoulder exposing his enormous arms. On his breast plate gilded in a rare green gold was a gigantic letter "G." It was through that letter that he had been run through.

"This one was a member of the royal guard." Cara said as she nudged him with her foot and gave a scowl.

"The royal guard! Then that means –" Kahlan said as she took off up the stairs, Richard and Cara running after her to try and keep pace.

She darted this way and that, through one hall, down another, skipping the next intersection, then taking a right at the next. She clearly had been here before and knew her way around. Of course she did she was the Mother Confessor. It was difficult to keep up with her. Richard was fast, but fear and dread drove Kahlan. Richard had just made the turn when he saw her make another turn down at the other end of the hall to the left this time. He and Cara would have quickened their pace but they were already going as fast as they could. As they finally got to the intersection and turned left they saw Kahlan standing in a huge doorway at the end of the hall, frozen, bodies of men of the royal guard surrounding her on the floor.

He and Cara raced as fast as they could to catch her and when they finally did they couldn't believe their eyes.

"What is this place?" Richard asked.

"This is the antechamber to the Queen Cyrilla's, my half-sister's, bed chamber. Those are her ladies in waiting." Kahlan said turning her head in disgust.

The scene in front of them was appalling. The ladies in waiting, girls ranging from the age of nine to twenty, had been abused just as the girl in the store had been. Raped and tortured, their broken bodies all were propped up on some sort of shaft, for some it was a spear the point of which poked part way through the top of their heads, for others it was broomsticks, like the general store girl, and for one it was a flagpole, part of the Galean flag bunched up between her legs.

"Tara." Kahlan said as she walked past one girl and stroked her face.

"You knew her?"

Kahlan nodded. "She was a friend." More tears.

She moved past the ladies in waiting and went on to the doors to their left, the doors to the queen's bed chamber. She threw them open and the stench nearly overpowered all three of them. To their shock the queen's bed chamber was covered in feces. Nearly a foot deep on the floor it covered everything. Even the ceiling had been coated with it. Apparently all the men of the invading force had used this room as their latrine, no doubt to add insult to injury. Kahlan quickly scanned the room.

"She's not here." She said.

"Who?" Richard Asked.

"Cyrilla. The Queen. She must have gotten away."

"Or they captured her." Cara said tilting her head.

He took Kahlan by the shoulders and looked straight in her eyes.

"We'll find her." He said. And he meant it.

Kahlan nodded, fighting back more tears.

"I don't understand one thing." Cara said looking around.

"One thing?" Richard said turning to her.

"Well, the force that took the city, besides having a wizard, was clearly larger than the one defending the city. "

"Yeah"

"Well, you know as well as I do that even if your force is larger, even If you have a wizard, you are going to have casualties as well in a battle of this size, it's just how war works."

"So what's your point Cara?"

"Where are the bodies of the enemy? We've got tons of dead Galeans but none from the opposing force."

She was right. The horror of seeing the hellish things they had seen on the way to the palace had blinded Richard from realizing that there were no dead from the invading force.

"They must have collected their dead." He said.

"Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well look around you Richard, whoever did this doesn't seem to have tidiness high on their priorities list."

A waft of stench from Queen Cyrilla's bed chamber hit Richard like a slap in the face, reminding him that she was correct.

"Maybe they did it to strike fear in the hearts of those who find the city. To see that whatever force did this took no losses would certainly frighten most."

"Maybe, but something just doesn't fit right."

Richard turned to Kahlan. "Who could have done this?"

"Well, Kelton is the sworn enemy of Galea…"

"But?"

"But, I just can't see them amassing a force large enough to do this. It had to be the D'harans."

"Doubtful." Cara said.

"Cara they're the only force, though segmented as they are, big enough and skilled enough to do something on this scale." Kahlan said.

"The D'haran army is the most disciplined and skilled army in the entire world. To say that they would have taken this city in such a sloppy, rudimentary, brutish fashion is insulting. It wasn't the D'harans!" Cara said angrily.

"Cara, I know you want to believe that they couldn't do something like this but –"

"She's right," came a voice from behind them.

Richard drew his sword, Kahlan drew her daggers, and Cara removed her agiels from their holsters, as they all turned to find Ben standing in the doorway to the antechamber.

Cara sighed and turned, shoving her agiels back into place and crossing her arms. Ben only rolled his eyes.

"How can you be so sure?" Kahlan asked.

"Follow me. I've got something to show you all." He said turning and starting down the corridor.


	7. Who Are They?

**Who Are They?**

"Who are they?" Kahlan asked eyes narrow.

Standing on the edge of a massive cliff not five miles from the capital city of Galea, Richard, Kahlan to his left, Ben to hers, and Cara to his, took in the scene. Off in the distance the entire canyon floor moved. Rivers of humanity ebbed and flowed as those belonging to the massive invasion force that had decimated Ebinnisia moved throughout their encampment. As if the Creator herself had cast a shadow on the earth, the army seemed to endlessly ooze its way throughout the land below, covering the canyon in darkness, a stark contrast from the snow covered mountains.

The force wasn't nearly as large as Richard had been expecting though. Ben had said that they numbered close to fifty thousand, nowhere near the hundreds of thousands Richard had expected. Still fifty thousand was a lot. And if it was true that they had a wizard, they could prove more than a slight inconvenience. They were brash too. Even from his vantage point far away and high above the encampment he could hear the men of the camp carrying on. As the wind blew across the mountains, tousling Kahlan's exquisite long black hair, it carried to his ear a melody, the melody of drunken brutes celebrating the murder of countless innocent people. They didn't care if they could be heard they were confident, not only in their ability but also in their size, and for good reason. Even though it wasn't as big as he was expecting, Richard had never seen an army this size.

Scanning the thousands upon thousands of tents, Richard saw that though large this force was very poorly organized. Tents were erected in no manner of order or sense making the alleys and walkways a terrible labyrinth of twist and turns, there seemed to be no communal mess area or latrine, so piles of both food and waste, sometimes mixed together, were located all throughout the camp and the lookout towers, though numerous, were horribly positioned if they truly wanted to be able to warn the camp of any impending attack. Richard could see at least three that even an inexperienced woodsman could sneak by and at least two that could easily be ambushed. The only order he saw in the camp was in the location of the stables and the armory, right next to each other not far from the command tents.

Looking closer Richard noticed that the men were not wearing the same uniforms. In fact, they seemed to be somewhat separated by what uniform they were wearing. As he looked, he counted at least four different segments. In one place the ooze of humanity seemed to take on a bluish hue, while in another a red hue, in still another green, and finally encompassing most of the camp a menacing black. It was there, in the black section, that Richard saw the command tents, one representing each segment of the army surrounding a larger one trimmed in a pale blue. On those tents representing each area he noticed banners, all bearing an insignia of some sort. He scanned them all, but only recognized one… the red D'haran skull.

"I don't think that's such an easy question to answer Kahlan. They seem to be an amalgamation of many armies, though the command tents seem to be concentrated in one area." Richard said scratching his head.

"Is he always this obnoxiously observant?" Ben asked with a wry smile.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Kahlan said also turning a wry smile Richard's way.

Ben cleared his throat and began. "They call themselves The Imperial Order. At least that's what one of their scouts I uh… persuaded to discuss the issue with me said."

"Never heard of them." Kahlan said.

"They come from the Old World." Ben said directing his gaze at the camp.

"The Old World?" Kahlan said incredulously. Ben only nodded. "Well I see Keltons, D'harans, and even some Galeans among their ranks; they're not from the Old World."

"No, in fact the scout I… entertained was a Kelton. He said the Keltons and the others have joined because they all share the same belief in one goal."

"And what's that?" Richard asked, afraid to know the answer.

"To rid the world of magic…" Ben said looking at them through one eyebrow while raising the other.

Richard's eyes went wide as he directed his gaze toward the army. Kahlan's face scrunched up into a scowl as she too turned her attention toward the black scar marring the canyon.

"The wizards…" Came the indignant response from Cara, arms still crossed, not happy at all to be standing next to Ben.

"Exactly." Ben said casting a knowing glance her way.

"What are you two talking about?" Richard asked.

"Do you remember the story I told you all the night I left?" Ben said.

"The one about the wizard who sacrificed his daughter to save the world?" Richard asked.

"Andre of Aroer, right. Well, as your leather-clad friend here just realized," he said jabbing his thumb in Cara's direction, "The Imperial Order's cause, this army from the Old World's cause, sounds remarkably similar to that of the wizards of the Old World in Andre's time. "

"That's quite a coincidence." Richard said scrunching his brow.

"A little too coincidental if you ask me. This means it wasn't just a legend. It actually happened. Living my entire life in the New World I thought that my view on the war between the New and Old Worlds had been tainted. I thought that, like most wars, that war had truly been about power and who would possess it, but apparently it ran much deeper than that. Apparently the Old World wizards had actually been set on the goal of eliminating magic from the world of the living no matter the means or the cost. I had thought that the story of Andre had been created to vilify the enemy and lift up an idealized example of the people fighting for the New World. In light of recent circumstances, I was apparently wrong."

"What was that?" Cara asked snapping her head to look at Ben.

"I was wrong." Ben said with a look of confusion on his face.

"I'm surprised you can admit that. Did it hurt?" Cara said tilting her head to the side.

"Excuse me!" Ben said turning to her.

Realizing that they were about to be completely sidetracked by another argument between those two, Kahlan grabbed Ben's arm and pointed towards the segment of the force wearing black.

"I don't recognize that banner." She said pointing to a black banner with a yellow fist emblazoned on it.

As Ben turned back to Kahlan, under her breath Cara said, "You heard me."

Ben began to turn back to Cara, but Kahlan caught his arm again.

"Ben, I'm the Mother Confessor. I know every town, every hamlet, every territory in the Midlands and I don't recognize that banner. Who are they?" She asked.

"I told you. That is the army from the Old World Empire. I say army but apparently this force doesn't even scratch the surface of how vast the Imperial Order's army is. This is apparently an advanced party. A scout if you will. They've been sent ahead to find out what kind of resistance the main force can expect when they arrive, what strategic positions need to be taken to help ensure victory, and also to win over New World converts to their fellowship so the Order will already have a foothold when they begin to advance. Judging by the size of this force they're having no problems with the last part. If you look, you'll also notice that the part of the force wearing green is actually divided into two segments. There are a few Galeans who apparently betrayed their countrymen but the majority of that faction is made up of the Blood of the Fold."

"The Blood of the Fold?" Richard asked.

"A rebel group from the far northwest part of the Midlands united under one goal." Kahlan said.

"Let me guess, to rid the world of magic." Richard said

"Yeah, I always thought they were just a nuisance, a flea on the back of the dog that was the Midlands. They had never organized themselves into any type of coherent threat. The most they had ever done was murder few poor souls every year that had strayed into their territory claiming that those they killed were witches or servants of the Keeper. But now, united with this army from the Old World, I'm afraid they may be a much more serious threat than I had ever thought. "

"You'll notice the command tents border the split between the Imperial Order's and the Blood of the Fold's camps. Those there." Ben said pointing to the collection of tents larger than the rest set up on a bit of a hill in the middle of the encampment. "And that man right there is your wizard." He said pointing to a man with long black hair wearing a blue robe trimmed in silver sitting, with a few other men, just outside the main blue trimmed command tent.

"Have you gotten a name?" Kahlan asked tucking her hair behind her ear to keep it from blowing in the wind.

"Merrick, said my Kelton friend, though I don't know if he was telling the truth." Ben said.

"He looks young. Where could they have found a wizard that young? I thought Richard was supposed to be the first wizard to be born in a long time?" Cara asked.

Cara was right. Ben exhaled in contemplation. Kahlan scratched her head. Richard stroked his chin thoughtfully. At the Palace of the Prophets he had been told that he was the first wizard that the sisters had had the pleasure of training in a long time. The Palace of the Prophets, that trip certainly hadn't turned out the way they had all been expecting. Not only had Richard not gotten any training in using his wizard's powers, but the Prelate had tried to kill him, Nicci had taken his Han, and he had uncovered a conspiracy to destroy the Sisters of the Light by the Sisters of the Dark. That was it!

"The Sisters of the Dark!" Richard said.

"What?" Said Kahlan.

"Well, when I went to the Palace of the Prophets they told me I was the first wizard they had trained in a long time, but who's to say that the Sisters of the Dark hadn't been training young wizards all along, in secret. The Palace is in the Old World, and if what Ben says about the size of the Imperial Order's army is true, I don't see any reason why the Sisters wouldn't ally themselves with the Emperor. It would only help them in their goal to destroy the world of the living and deliver it to the Keeper."

"Well, whether or not that's the case, this is something we will definitely need to address when we get to Aydindril and talk with our own wizard." Kahlan said.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Ben said.

"What do you mean?"

"Follow me; I've got a couple more things to show you." He said as he started off through the woods.

Ben led them through the snowy woods. The bare branches of saplings reached out for Richard's vest. Clumps of falling snow from the branches above made it seem as if they were surrounded by unseen phantom enemies. Every time one fell and made a soft thud as it hit the snow covered forest floor below they all jumped and reached for their weapons, all of them except Ben. As he led them over a small rise and started down into a ravine between two mountains, Richard caught up with him.

"Ben, can I ask you something?" He said.

"I don't think even if I said no it would stop you Seeker, so ask." Ben said giving Richard a boyish grin.

Richard smiled back. "Why did you leave?"

Ben's smile faded. He rolled his eyes and exhaled. "I had to."

"Why?"

"I just couldn't be around her anymore."

"Cara?"

"Yeah. Do you know what she tried to tell me before you came and relieved me of my shift that night?"

Richard just shook his head. Ben pushed a branch out of the way and held it so Richard could pass by.

"She tried to tell me that we had a lot in common. That she knew how I felt." Ben said. Richard could see the blood rushing to his face as his anger grew. Ben let the branch snap back into place. "The nerve! To think that I would have anything in common with a monster like that. Can you believe it? I just couldn't take it anymore. I just couldn't stand the thought of waking up every morning for the next few weeks and seeing someone who represented everything that took my life, everything I held dear, from me. I'm sorry Richard, I just couldn't. I had to leave."

"I understand Ben. That would be difficult for anyone. But she does have a point."

Ben quickly turned to Richard, "What?" He said.

"Do you know how Cara became a Mord'Sith?" Ben shook his head. "When she was a young girl, her school teacher, who was also secretly a Mord'Sith, singled her out and had her abducted because of her compassion and gentleness." Ben stole a glance at Cara. "She was taken, placed in a rat infested hole, and fed hardly anything. During the day she was tortured mercilessly and at night the rats nibbled on her toes and ears. Yet, still she proved hard to break. As a last resort the Mord'Sith captured her father and tortured him trying to get him to admit that he had sold Cara to them. He refused despite their most horrible attempts to persuade him otherwise. Finally, since he wouldn't say what they wanted him to say, they decided they would take away his ability to speak at all. They burned his throat and then placed him before his daughter. When they asked him to admit to his daughter that he had sold her he was unable to say no and so Cara was tricked into believing that he had. She was finally broken and became one of the most deadly Mord'Sith ever. For her entire life she lived believing this lie.

It wasn't until just this past year she learned the truth about her past. Ever since then she has been struggling with the guilt of what she's done.

Just like you Ben she thought everything in her life was gone. Just like you Ben she feared the worst about her family. And just like you Ben she had everything taken from her by Darken Rahl. You two do have an awful lot in common.

I know Cara doesn't have the greatest social skills. Trust me, Kahlan and I have been working on her in that sense, but I know Cara and I know her heart. Even though she might not have gone about it in the best way, she truly meant well, and was only trying to help. Out of all of us she probably understands best what kind of madness Darken Rahl can wreak on a life. I think she was only trying, in her own Cara way, to tell you that she's been exactly where you are and has emerged on the other side of that dark tunnel. The things you two have been through I can't even begin to imagine or understand and all Cara was trying to say was that she does."

Ben looked like he had been punched in the gut. He stole another glance at Cara this time though with a look of compassion and understanding on his face.

"Thank you," was all he said as he patted Richard on the shoulder. Richard nodded.

They continued on in silence as Ben led them through the ravine and then up another hill on the other side of the two mountains. As he reached the top of a cliff he pointed past its precipice and said, "There."

Looking over the edge, they saw another army, though this one seemed miniscule compared to the other. Numbering at most five thousand, it was clear from their uniforms that these were the few survivors from Ebinnisia. They were however even less organized than the Imperial Order's forces, if that was possible. The command tents were set up on the outskirts of the camp rather than in the middle and there seemed to be no lookouts posted.

"The survivors." Kahlan said.

"Right, they seem to be led by a very young colonel with blond hair named Ryan. The problem is it seems Ryan is a little too bent on revenge and was absent the day they taught militaristic strategy." Ben said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I did a little sneaking around camp and found out, thanks to the fact that their command tents are on the outskirts of the camp, that he is planning on using a hammer and anvil to try and take on the Imperial forces."

"What? A hammer and anvil might work in this terrain if they were outnumbered two or maybe even three to one, but not ten to one. We've got to stop them."

"I couldn't agree more, Kahlan." Came a familiar voice from behind them. They all turned to find Zedd in his faded red robe standing before them, arms crossed, long white hair flowing in the wind.

"Zedd!" Richard, Kahlan, and Cara all screamed as one as Richard and Kahlan ran to him and enveloped him in their arms, almost knocking him over. Cara only smiled.

"What are you doing back from Aydindril?" Richard asked.

"Well I heard a most unfortunate rumor about the city of Ebinnisia. I had hoped it was only a rumor, but I see unfortunately it was not."

Zedd moved to the edge of the cliff next to Ben and looked down on the camp.

Richard said, "Oh Zedd, this is Ben Meiffert, he's -"

"A jackass." Cara interrupted.

Zedd cast a glance at Cara but said only, "We'll have time for pleasantries later my boy," as he patted Ben on the shoulder, "now I think you were about to tell us your plan as to how to stop these fools from killing themselves."

"Well, not really stop them, just redirect their efforts. Follow me I've got one more thing to show you."

He led them off to the west just a few thousand yards from the Galean camp to a stinking pile of dead bodies. Apparently moved here by the surviving Galeans who didn't want these vile creatures polluting their city's streets.

"I don't know if you noticed brass buttons," Cara said, using the new nickname she had given Ben since they had met this morning in Ebinnisia, apparently her way of referring to Ben's rank in the D'haran army, why she insisted on reminding him of that Richard wasn't sure, "but all these men are already dead. It's the ones that are still alive that we need to worry about."

"Thanks," Ben said, the sarcasm so thick it almost made it hard to breath, "but despite what you may see Cara," Richard noticed that Ben didn't add Mistress before her name, it was progress, "these men are going to play a main role in the coming battle."

"What do you mean?" Cara asked.

"Well remember when Richard said that seeing that the invading force took no losses would strike fear in the hearts of those who saw it? Well, I was thinking it could work in the opposite direction as well."

"Banelings." Zedd said with a devious smile.

"Exactly. If we can't beat them by sheer numbers, we need something that will equalize the difference. How about fear?"

Zedd put his arm around Ben and smiled, "Well jackass or not my boy, you certainly have a brain between those ears. I just hope it will work. It's still a large hill to climb. Even with fear on our side ten to one are hard odds to overcome."

Ben put his arm back around Zedd, "Well, now that you're hear I may have a plan for you to help us accomplish that even better. That is if you're up for the challenge."

"My boy, I'm a wizard of the First Order. You put food in my belly and I can meet any challenge set before me." Zedd said with a grin and a chuckle.

"I'm glad you two are getting along, but first things first. None of these plans are going to work unless I do one thing. I need to take care of that wizard." Kahlan said.

"You mean we need to take care of that wizard." Richard said with a confused look on his face.

"No… I do this alone," was all Kahlan said in return as she started back toward the Galean camp.


	8. Merrick

**Merrick**

**(Warning: Stone of Tears Spoilers, kind of)**

In the dim light she could barely see the snow covered tree, like prison bars, surrounding her. The sun had set an hour ago and the moon would soon fall below the horizon as well, enveloping the entire canyon in darkness, just what they were counting on. The dead would soon rise.

She was the picture of focus. Confessor's face on, her mind was set. Snow crunched under the hooves of her massive warhorse, Nick. She bobbed to the rhythm of his gait, her long white dress swishing to the beat, as she contemplated what it was, exactly, she had to do. Before her the fires of the Imperial Order's camp stood out like thousands of monstrous fireflies. She was close now. As she trotted Nick out of the oppressive trees into the open valley, she feared that she would alert the sentries to her presence but they made no move to stop her, most likely thinking that one lone rider was no immediate threat to the massive force.

The wind blew her hair back off her shoulders bringing with it the hint of wood smoke, roasting meat, and feces. As she drew closer, she could hear again the raucous sound of men carrying on. She still couldn't quite believe that she had managed to convince Richard to allow her to do this alone, as she wanted.

Kahlan knew that, with a wizard at their disposal, the Imperial Order would know, well in advance, that an attack was coming. Wizards could sense things that ordinary men could not. Before the Galean force even reached the encampment, the Order would have known that they were coming. Richard had suggested that Zedd could block the wizard's, Merrick's, ability to do this. However, Zedd had explained that, in the blocking of Merrick's ability to sense such things, it would tip Merrick off that something was amiss, perhaps even more than just simply attacking.

"It's like your sword Richard." Zedd had said. "Every time you grip that sword you feel the power of its magic surging through you. Through every fiber of your being you feel the sword taking your passion and rage and channeling towards your ends. You may not even notice it anymore when you grip it, but it happens. You've become accustomed to it. It's normal. Now imagine if the next time you unsheathe the Sword of Truth its accompanying magic doesn't accompany it. All that happens is you unsheathe a sword. Don't you think you'd notice something was wrong? That's how my blocking Merrick's ability would affect him. He may not know that I'm there doing it or what I'm doing, but his powers have become so much a part of who he is, in growing and cultivating them, that he will know something is awry, which would probably put him even more on edge than if we just had the army advance."

Kahlan knew all of this, especially since she was a Confessor. Her powers unlike others had to always be kept in check. If her powers all of a sudden disappeared, she would definitely notice. So, since she knew that hindering Merrick's powers was out of the question, she had resolved, since the moment she saw Tara and the rest of the ladies in waiting in the antechamber to Queen Cyrilla's bedchamber, she had to kill him.

She was the Mother Confessor, the ruler of the Midlands, the voice of reason and justice for all who followed her, even those who died in Ebinnisia. Her word was law and against such there was no contestation. Those who visited war upon her people must pay the price for such an action. It started this evening with Merrick and ended tonight with the rest of the Order's force. As soon as Richard had seen the resolve in her eyes, behind her Confessor's face, he offered no objection and had even defended her choice when Colonel Ryan and the other Galeans had objected. She loved him so much.

Still, despite her resolve, she was nervous. Her heart was pounding so hard she was surprised her chest could contain it. Her mouth was dry and it was difficult to swallow. Her hands were clammy, and she felt like she was covered in sweat even though she wasn't. She had to succeed in her mission. Every part of their plan tonight hinged on the fact that she would kill this wizard. If she failed it not only meant she would die, but the rest of the Galeans, and even Richard would also. She couldn't bear to think of Richard in pain. She had to succeed.

She made her way past the first tents on the outskirts of the camp. The men congregated around the fires dispersed throughout the camp, dancing, singing, eating and drinking. Confident in their vast numbers they weren't the least bit worried of an impending attack. Luckily most of them were too engaged in the revelry to notice her. She pulled her hood up to conceal her face and hurried past before any of them could look up, or process what they had just seen.

As she made her way further into the camp, she heard the screams of a woman coming from a tent off to her left. She knew that armies like this had prostitutes that followed them, offering their services to the men who, removed from their homes, were more than happy to indulge. She also knew that these armies took women as plunder. The raping the women of Ebinnisia had suffered was actually nothing compared to what captured women were put through. At least the women of Ebinnisia had been able to escape those atrocities through death. Captured women would relive every moment of that barbarity over and over again with no release. She found herself hoping it was merely a prostitute having found more than what she bargained for with these men, rather than a prisoner. It was a terrible thing to hope but that terror was not her own but the making of these monsters.

She rode on making her way toward the center of the camp, passing many more fires on her way. A few times, when she had made the mistake of casting a glance at the men surrounding the fires, locking eyes with a few, she feared that she would be stopped, but her haste prevented anyone from investigating past a glance. They were too busy carousing in their heinousness to care about a lone rider.

Riding past the armory, full of all types of horrible tools of destruction and misery, she saw the command tents not far off in front of her. The larger blue trimmed one sticking out like a sore thumb. In front of it, were four men sitting around a table, the wizard and three officers. She took a deep breath and rode Nick right up to the table.

"Well, looks like you were right Merrick." A D'haran with stubble covering his face and close cropped black hair seated to her left said, as he twirled a knife through the fingers of his left hand. "Merrick said he smelled a Confessor. You didn't happen to bring any ale with you, did you wench? We're almost out." He said with a slight chuckle as he turned the mug in front of him upside down and shook it. "You didn't eh? That's alright Karsh here tells me there's a nice city just a few miles down the road. They're bound to have some. We'll make ourselves at home once they welcome us and pledge their allegiance to the Order."

"Who is in charge here?" Kahlan said as she stole a glance at Merrick across the table to her right. He was even younger than she was expecting, his long black hair hiding most of his face. In her mind she judged whether he was close enough to lunge and touch him with her power before the D'haran drove his knife into her head. She couldn't tell if he was, but either way it was poor odds. The wizard didn't look up to match her gaze but instead was concentrating solely on what he was doing with his hands. He was whittling.

"I am!" Said the D'haran as he slammed his knife into the table in front of him and stood up.

Kahlan gave him a look down her nose and said, "Really? I thought the man leading this force would be a bit more… what's the word I'm looking for? Impressive."

"Watch it Mother Confessor. You might be playing with a little more fire than you think." Said Merrick as he threw what he had whittled to her and ignited a small ball of fire at the tip of the middle finger of his right hand.

Kahlan caught what he had thrown at her and looked at it. To her disgust it was an enormous phallus. She threw it back on the table. The men all laughed.

"What's the matter Confessor? You don't like Merrick's present for you?" Karsh, a Kelton with slick brown hair and a big mustache, seated to her far left, said with a chuckle. "Although I hear a Confessor probably wouldn't know what to do with it in the first place."

Kahlan regained her composure and put her Confessor's face back on.

"What is your name soldier?" She said addressing the D'haran.

"Soldier! Soldier! I am no soldier. I'm _General_ Riggs, supreme commander of this army and the new ruler of this territory. You answer to me now, Confessor!"

"The Mother Confessor answers to no one, General Riggs." She said with a steely eyed gaze. "I only ask because I'd like to know the name of the man whom I will be sentencing in Aydindril.

Listen to me and listen well, all of you, especially you Merrick for fate has intertwined our paths tonight. I will offer this once and only once. To the men of this force, though brutes and cads all of you, I offer clemency, forgiveness for the vile acts they have committed, if they will but abide by my requirements. They must disband, and never take up arms against the people of the Midlands again, help rebuild Ebinnisia and repay any damages to the survivors, whether this takes days or the rest of their lives to accomplish.

This force has brought death and misery to the Midlands. Children who had their whole lives ahead of them were unceremoniously cut down. Lives just beginning to bloom were trampled. Women were raped. Families were destroyed. No cause is righteous enough to justify these acts.

This is a rare gift. Seldom is mercy shown to those who deserve none. But I am gracious, and do not wish for more lives to be lost needlessly. If they accept this gift and abide by the precepts set down, they may live. If they refuse it, then every single one of them will die by morning. I am the Mother Confessor, the ruler of the Midlands. Kings and Queens bow to me and territories obey my commands. This is my word. So let it be done.

Unfortunately for you four," she said pointing her finger at Riggs, Karsh, Merrick, and the other officer, a short man with shoulder length brown hair and huge sideburns, wearing the colors of the Blood of the Fold," someone must pay for the crimes committed in Ebinnisia. I offer you no forgiveness. Instead, in my mercy, I offer you a chance at an honorable death. Here in the Midlands we abide by the rule of law. Therefore, you all will stand trial in Aydindril and answer for the crimes your charge committed. You may state your case. If Ebinnisia deserved her fate then you may bring those grievances to the council. But understand this. I rule the council, and I have seen the horrors of Ebinnisia with my own eyes. No fancy legal dancing will remove those images from my mind. You _will _die! I only offer you the chance to plead your case before you die. If you truly believe there is a cause that justifies such abhorrent conduct, this is your chance to advance that cause. The choice is yours. You can die here in muck and filth or you can die in Aydindril, a martyr for your cause. Either way you will die. Either way you will abide by my word."

Riggs chuckled. "We will not abide by anything you say, bitch! It is detestable for a man to bow to a woman and we will do no such thing."

"You take advantage of me, general?" Kahlan said, raising an eyebrow.

"Not yet my dear, but I've got plans for you." He said as he licked his lips and thrust his pelvis at her. The other three laughed.

"What madness has driven you men to believe that whatever cause you are championing is worth dying for, worth murdering innocent people?"

"Our cause is justice. Our cause is peace." The man from the Blood said. "We fight only to bring about that peace. For too long, people like you Confessor have enforced their will on all of us simply because you possess magic and we do not. We fight to eliminate that which unjustly places chains upon us. The time has come for old religion and magic to die. Magic, chaste or foul, additive or subtractive, is but the conduit for the Keeper to this world. We are but the reaper's scythe, come to cut it down. We will free all the territories of magic's taint.

We are but snowflakes in the ocean. Our lives mean nothing to us. If you strike me down right now Confessor another will rise to take my place. If you strike him down, yet another will rise. We fight not for personal glory or fame or wealth. We fight not to bring about a private goal. We fight so that the Imperial Order's flower may bloom and envelope the world. Equality for all."

Karsh and Riggs cheered and pounded their fist on the table. Kahlan stole another glance at Merrick. He had now grown the spark on his finger to an apple sized ball of fire that he was tossing between his hands.

"You call killing innocent people equality? Please tell me what the people of Ebinnisia did to deserve your 'equality'?"

Karsh stood and spoke.

"The people of Ebinnisia and Galea, for that matter, deserved their fate a dozen times over. For years they have raided our farms and villages. For years they have murdered our people and you and your council, Confessor, have done nothing. Even still, we offered them the chance to join us, to help us finally bring balance to this world, but they chose to fight."

"The council never received any grievances from Kelton concerning Ebinnisia. If we had we would have…"

"Done nothing! Don't insult me Mother Confessor. I know how your bureaucracy works. The 'union' that the council represents is weak and corrupt. It is controlled by reprobate politicians only looking out for themselves. The Order unites us all for the greater good. We stand together, strong. Don't mock us with your empty threats." Karsh said as her pounded his fist on the table.

"Do not take the Midlands lightly. We may be a loose union of many separate territories, but if you test us you will see that this union has not only a mouth, but teeeth. Now you say that you wish to eliminate the injustice created by magic, but you use a wizard. Tell me Merrick how can you serve this Order if according to its doctine all creatures of magic, including you, must die?"

"A means to an end Confessor. I serve not to advance myself. My life only has worth through serving others. If I must die after the Order has established justice and equality then so be it." Merrick said.

"You have all gone mad! This is the last time I will make this offer. I urge you not to take it lightly gentlemen. The moment I leave it is off the table. There really is no need for you and all your men to die tonight." Kahlan said.

"Enough." Riggs said. "We will not abide by any conditions you set upon us. We rule the Midlands now. Now get down here, I've got plans for you and I tonight." He said as he reached up and grabbed Kahlan's leg.

Before he could get a good hold of her dress, she gave Nick a quick kick to his side causing him to rear up on his hind legs. Hooves flailed through the air and one caught Riggs directly on the forehead, sending him flying backwards over his chair. Nick's front limbs came crashing down on the table, shattering it, sending splinters flying and knocking the other three men backwards as well. Kahlan didn't hesitate. She caught the reins and wheeled Nick around and with another kick they were off.

Racing through the camp now alive with excitement, she stole a glance behind her and saw Merrick, back on his feet. Keeping his left hand still, he waved the other above it in a circular motion, summoning a gigantic fireball. Kahlan kicked Nick again to get him to go faster. As Kahlan fought to hold on to the reins, she heard, from behind her, a sound like rushing waters. She knew it was Merrick's fireball on its way. She stole another glance and saw the fireball mere feet from her. Quickly getting control of Nick, she brought him around to the right down a small alley. It was amazing to think that this massive war horse could move so agilely.

Just as she and Nick made the turn the fireball whizzed past them. She could hear the screams of men caught in its path of destruction as it continued its path through the camp. She turned Nick left down another alley straight to her goal, the armory.

Without pausing she scooped up a lance, which was propped up with dozens of others against a stand made specifically for them. Lance in hand, she wheeled Nick back around, back towards Merrick. As she turned, she saw him again. Having worked up another massive fireball, he sent it on its way. She dipped and ducked the massive war horse this way and that as Merrick manipulated the air about the ball of fire to try and change its direction. As she dodged one more time the fire ball flew past her, so close she could smell the ends of her hair being singed.

She was now in a race. She needed to close the distance between her and Merrick, before he could summon another fireball. She kicked Nick as hard as she could. Nick responded. Merrick started to conjure another fireball.

She raised the lance and cradled it in her armpit, resting it across Nick's neck so as not to through off her balance in the saddle. She kicked Nick again. Men were running everywhere. Chaos had enveloped the camp. Burning bodies lay strewn in the streets and alleys, but all she saw was Merrick. She raced head long at him. It seemed to take forever, but finally just as he was about to unleash the fireball between his hands, she drove the lance straight through his chest. As he fell the fireball he had conjured fell on top of him igniting his lifeless body.

Kahlan didn't stop, she couldn't. She charged on through the chaos of the camp and back into the woods. She had to meet up with Richard and the rest of the Galeans. She only hoped Ben's plan would work.


	9. Banelings!

**Banelings!**

Kahlan rode like the wind the rest of the way back to the Galean camp. She'd just narrowly escaped with her life, and the night was still young. The rest of the army needed to be taken care of now. As Nick grunted underneath her, she prayed to the good spirits that Ben's plan would work. It had to work. If it didn't… No! She couldn't start thinking that way. She had to believe. If not for her, then for those poor young Galean soldiers back at the camp and for the rest of the Midlands. She couldn't afford any doubt. She had to believe.

She broke out of the trees at a full gallop and rode right to the center of the Galean camp, now devoid of any light. They probably didn't want any stray Order patrols to see their camp fires and report back to the main force, she thought. They must have doused them. She cast a glance to the sky. Through the trees she could see the smallest sliver of the moon peeking above the horizon. Within minutes it would set. The countryside would be plunged into complete darkness and they could finally enact Ben's plan. She took her eyes from the moon and returned her attention to the camp. Where was everybody? The camp was deserted. They wouldn't have pushed forward yet. It wasn't time. Plus she had told Richard not to without her.

"How did it go?" Came a voice from the darkness to her right.

Kahlan jumped in surprise. She looked and saw two brown eyes staring at her from out of the darkness. She knew those eyes.

"Richard?" She said as she looked trying to find the rest of him. Her eyes having become accustomed to the light cast by the fires in the Order's camp now struggled to see in the complete darkness. Slowly her eyes started to adjust to the darkness and she could make out the outline of Richard's body standing next to her in the saddle. She looked harder and to her astonishment saw that he was completely naked, covered from head to toe in mud. That was why she hadn't seen him. The mud camouflaged him into the darkness making it seem as if he wasn't there.

"What are you doing?" She asked in bewilderment.

"It's all part of Ben's plan, Kahlan." Richard said.

"That's right." Said Ben. He was standing just behind Richard, naked and covered in mud as well.

Kahlan felt her cheeks grow warm as she tried to fight back a blush.

"Wait. Run this plan by me one more time. I must have missed the part where you get naked and roll around in the mud." Kahlan said placing her hand to her forehead.

"Well, that wasn't part of the original plan, Mother Confessor." Came another voice, this time from behind her.

She turned and saw the young Galean colonel Ryan, stark except for the mud. He was well built but not as tall as Richard or Ben. Whatever color his hair had been she couldn't tell, due to the dark mud covering him. Kahlan threw her hands up in the air and tried to avert her eyes.

"You see Mother Confessor," Ben said, "after you left for the Order's camp; we started white washing the Order's dead soldiers. Once they were all white washed we began to practice manipulating them on horseback. We would load one of the "banelings" on a horse and one of us would get on behind it. We figured it was a good idea to practice fighting that way since we will most likely have to do at least some fighting. The problem was it was terribly obvious that there was someone on the horse with the "baneling." If we wanted the fact that their dead soldiers were returning from the dead to kill them to have the desired effect, we needed a way to solve that problem. The Seeker and I may be good fighters, but even we can't take on this force. So we needed a way to fix the problem. Then Cara here," Ben pointed off to his left at a denuded, muddy Cara standing next to him, "came up with the brilliant idea of covering ourselves with mud. The dark color of the mud helps us blend into the gloom perfectly. You didn't even see us when you rode into camp. You nearly trampled poor Weston there." Ben said pointing to one of the Galean soldiers, also naked, also covered in mud. A white, sheepish smile appeared from out of the darkness where the soldier stood.

"But why are you naked?" Kahlan asked in confusion.

"The mud weighed down our clothes too much." Richard said. "We couldn't maneuver. It's really the best way."

Kahlan exhaled. "Alright. Where is the mud. I need to get prepared as well."

A gasp came from the thousands of eyes that now surrounded her.

"No, Mother Confessor. This is where I draw the line." Ryan said. "It was bad enough that you insisted on performing that crazy mission to kill the wizard all by yourself, now this! No! I will not stand by and see you not only endanger yourself again, but also defile yourself by being nude in front of all of us and covered in this muck. As commander of this army I order you to stay here. We will do the fighting. You have already done more than enough."

Kahlan regarded him with a measured gaze.

"You order me, Colonel?" She said with an even yet still menacing tone. "I am the Mother Confessor. I take orders from no one. I started this this evening by killing Merrick and I intend to finish it. How can I expect men to fight for me if I will not fight for them. Our fates are linked. I am going to fight. Now where is the mud?"

"Mother Confessor please…" Ryan started but he was quickly silenced when Richard held up a hand and shook his head, indicating that Ryan shouldn't push the issue. Kahlan's mind was made up and he knew it. She loved Richard.

"This way." Richard said as he grabbed her hips and helped her down out of the saddle, his large hands nearly meeting at the center of her back. Her shoulder rubbed against the mud covering him and dirtied her white dress, leaving a dark brown smear down her right arm.

"Do you think Zedd is ready?" She asked.

Richard only looked into her eyes and smiled an insecure, uncertain smile.

* * *

The moon set. The time had finally come. Ben walked along side Richard, Kahlan, now covered in mud like the rest of them, in front of them and Cara trailing behind. They were on their way to the tree line. Kahlan had summoned the entire camp together so that she could speak to them before they embarked on this incredibly dangerous mission. A few stragglers were still making their way to the trees with them, but most were already there. Ben stole a glance behind him and dropped back so that he was walking next to Cara.

"Are you ready?" He asked with a smile.

She didn't turn to look at him but kept her eyes straight ahead.

"Are you?" She said curtly.

"I think so."

Cara let out a small chuckle.

"You'd better be, Brass Buttons. The odds certainly are not in our favor. Let's just hope this crazy plan of yours works." She said still looking forward.

"Oh, it'll work. Even if they see us on the horses behind their fallen comrades, I think just the sight of some of these men in the nude will be enough to scare them. It certainly scares me." Ben said smiling bigger.

Cara looked at him and giggled, her white teeth appearing out of the twilight. Suddenly Ben was acutely aware that he was naked. He could tell Cara had just become not only aware that she was as well, but also that she had let her emotions slip. They both averted their eyes.

"It's a good thing I was around to tweak this plan of yours. The Creator knows you wouldn't have been able to think up such a solution." Cara said evenly have gained control of her emotional outburst.

"You sure you weren't just trying to get me naked?" Ben said with another playful smile.

Cara didn't giggle this time, she only scowled. She was still angry. He had gotten her to laugh, to let her guard down. So she was probably even angrier now than before. He got to the point.

"Listen, Cara, I uh… I… I wanted to apologize." He said. She turned to look at him. "I can't excuse the way I acted toward you. I was blaming you for things that you had no part in." She flinched. "All I can say is that I'm sorry and I…"

"Save it." She said.

"What?"

"Now is not the time to be getting all mushy. You and I both need to be concentrating on the task at hand, at making sure that not one of these bastards lives to see the morning sun rise. In fact, I'll save you the effort. If you think I care about how you feel towards me, think again. Mord'Sith are trained to harness our emotions even in the most terrible circumstances. If we cried during our training, it only worsened the beating we would receive. It was a hard learned lesson, but one learned well. Are you really so arrogant to think that any little insult you may have hurled my way hurt me? Your conduct has had no bearing on me. Don't fool yourself into thinking otherwise."

"Cara I don't want to fight." Ben said ever so slightly rolling his eyes.

She stopped and turned to him. "Neither do I. Fact is no apology is necessary because your conduct had no effect on me whatsoever."

She crossed her arms. It was a front, a wall she was putting up and he knew it. He looked down at the ground and exhaled.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. It certainly is a relief. It was troubling me to think that I had not only unjustly implicated you in events that you were not involved, but had also caused you pain. I admit, at first, it was my intent to bring you pain, but I was wrong. I'm glad to hear that I only succeeded in implicating you, not in causing you pain. Still, I feel I need to apologize. Whether you feel it is necessary or not, I do.

Cara, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I rushed to judgment without first getting to know you. I was hotheaded, angry, pretentious, and arrogant. I only hope you can accept my most sincere, and heartfelt apology.

I've come to see that you were correct. We are very much the same, you and I. It's hard for me, even now, to admit that. That I have anything in common with a Mord'Sith is a tough pill to swallow, but the truth of the matter is both our hearts have suffered the same agony. Even though those wounds still fester and knead at me, it is nice to know that someone else knows how I feel. Know that I now understand what it was you were trying to tell me the night I left. For that, thank you.

I also want to tell you that, having spent even the little bit of time that I have with you, I have seen that you not only do good in serving the Seeker, but that you are good. You are a good person, Cara. You have a good heart. I don't know if you can ever bring yourself to forgive me for the way I've acted, but know that I consider you my friend. I only hope, someday, the feeling will be mutual."

Cara tilted her head to the side and her scowl turned to a look of confusion. Ben turned and started anew, walking after Kahlan and Richard.

* * *

Kahlan made her way through the congregation of men standing in a semi-circle just in front of the tree line, her naked body rubbing against the men as she passed. Eventually the men became aware of her presence and parted to let her through. She strode out into the center of the half circle and mounted Nick. Bringing him around so that his left flank was to the men, she began.

"My friends, I am not going to sugar coat what it is we must do tonight. It would be easy for me to tell you that tonight we will be victorious. That before the sun rises we will be standing over the corpses of the Imperial Order on a field of victory. It would be easy for me to tell you that we can easily win this battle. It would be easy, but not true. The truth of the matter is that some, maybe even all of you may die tonight."

Her gaze swept over the men, thousands of white eyes stared at her from the gloom, none seeing her nakedness, all engrossed by what she was saying.

"My friends, the odds are against us. We are outnumbered ten to one. These men are strong, ruthless, and well versed in war. Today we don't face a mindless rabble. We face a group of men united under one cause. This very evening before I killed their wizard…" Cheers unexpectedly went up from the men. She waited for them to die down. "… before I killed their wizard," she continued, "one of them told me that losing their lives meant nothing to them so long as their goal is eventually accomplished. To lose their lives in such a way they consider an honor. They are zealots to their cause. This makes these men incredibly dangerous. These are the men that you must face tonight."

She brought Nick around to face the other direction. More eyes...

"What cause is so righteous you ask? What cause could possibly lead men to rape and murder women and children, to destroy entire cities, and yet also be so divine that they would lay down their lives for it? A cause grand in scope, almost altruistic on the surface, yet more diabolical in nature than the Keeper himself… the destruction of all magic!"

Murmurs crept through the crowd. The common soldiers, not well versed in magic, not knowing quite what to make out of all of it.

"This is an ancient war re-ignited. Thousands of years ago our ancestors fought the ancestors of these men for the same reason. And now, today we find ourselves again entrenched in the struggle. If history has taught us anything, it is that these men will do anything to see magic die. Ebinnisia was but a taste of what these men are capable of. They will destroy anyone who does not swear allegiance to their cause. They will sweep across not only the Midlands, but all three territories, butchering any who oppose them, like they did your friends and families. They say they want to bring about equality and freedom yet they only bring destruction. They will rape and murder and kill and until they are stopped. I say we stop them!"

She brought Nick back around again and bent forward in the saddle gesturing with her left hand.

"My friends, I have seen the ruins that were Ebinnisia. I have seen how they slaughtered your children, how they violated your wives and daughters. If this is the equality and freedom you want then join them, but it is not the equality and freedom of the Midlands. Here in the Midlands we abide by the rule of law. As Mother Confessor I pronounce judgment on all those who stand before me. I have tried every single one of these men and have found them all guilty. The only sentence is death. Tonight you will carry out that sentence. Tonight is your night for vengeance. Let blood flow. Let none escape with their lives. They offered your friends and families no mercy. Show them none. By the time the sun rises I want every one of them to answer for the crimes they have committed.

Tonight, you will sweep across that valley like a shadow. Tonight, you will avenge the thousands that died needlessly for the monstrous beliefs of a few. Tonight the dead will rise to reap their revenge. Tonight, you will be death!" She screamed emphasizing each word as Nick reared up on his hind legs.

The men cheered.

"Mount up!" Ryan yelled.

The men all ran to their horses and mounted up behind the dead white washed Imperial soldier already in the saddle. The time had come. Kahlan only hoped Zedd could hold up his end of the bargain.

* * *

The hillside was dark. Richard repositioned himself in the saddle. It wasn't comfortable at all to be sharing a saddle with a dead Imperial Order soldier. Still, if it did the job, it was well worth the discomfort. He saw the branches of the tree in front of him move as a breeze swept across the hill. He couldn't feel the breeze because of the suit of mud he wore over his naked body. Still he was somewhat happy he couldn't feel it. It was a cold, dark night and it promised to only get darker.

To his left Kahlan sat in the saddle behind a huge corpse. If he hadn't known she was there he wouldn't have been able to spot her in the darkness. She was having a great deal of trouble with her Imperial soldier. He kept slumping forward, the dead weight difficult for her to manage. Richard chuckled.

Ben was on a mountain across the valley leading another battalion of soldiers as was Cara with a battalion of soldiers on the rise to their left. The Order's sentries had been taken out by an advance group of a few soldiers. Richard had shown them how to eliminate the men without making any noise, using thin pieces of string to choke the men from behind. If you did it quickly and fiercely enough you could actually nearly decapitate your victim. There was now no one to raise an alarm. The Order would be caught completely off guard. There was nothing left to do now but wait, wait for Zedd's signal that he was ready.

Richard looked at Kahlan again and smiled. He saw her eyes looking back at him. In the darkness he couldn't tell if she was smiling that small tight-lipped special smile of hers back, but he knew she was. He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer to the good spirits to protect her this night. Then just as he opened his eyes he saw it. Shooting across the sky, high in the air, a ball of fire flew. It was so high that it looked like nothing more than a falling star, but he knew it was Zedd's signal. His old friend had done it.

He heard from across the valley the sound of many voices rising together as one. As he listened it spread across the rim of the mountains to his left and made its way to him. He joined in. At the top of his lungs he let out a blood curdling scream. Grabbing the dead soldier's right arm, gripping a sword, he gave his war horse a kick. With a jolt he was off, rushing headlong through the trees down the hillside. The sound of rushing wind that he couldn't feel filled his ears. His horse grunted underneath him. He bounced in the saddle keeping his legs tight to his horse and his left arm tight to the dead soldier in front of him so that neither would be thrown off by the surge of power the animal generated. Breaking through the trees he saw, over his cadaverous companion's shoulder, the Order's camp in front of him, aglow with the light from thousands of campfires. He screamed louder, raising the dead soldier's arm high into the air. What little light the fires cast glinted off of the flawless surface of the steel blade.

He looked and all across the canyon floor pale apparitions were appearing out of the trees. As they began to converge on the outpost, the sound of their screams was becoming deafening. They bounced in midair as if gliding on the wind. All around the camp the white shadows of fallen Imperial soldiers materialized, closing in for their revenge.

Kahlan caught up with him, screaming like a gar as well. She used her soldiers arm and directed some of the soldiers to Richard's right to break off. He saw two of them veer off to the right, tossing a chain that would sever heads tonight to each other as they did so. They were close now. He could see the soldiers on the outskirts of the camp running about in confusion and fear. In front of him he saw one lone soldier staring at him in disbelief.

"Andrew!" He screamed. "No Andrew! It can't be! You're dead Andrew! I saw you!" In the faint light Richard could see the man's inner pant leg darken as he wet himself from fear.

A few seconds past that felt like hours, and then suddenly they were in the midst of the Order's camp. Richard lopped off the head of the man who had wet himself. He didn't even try to dodge, frozen in fear as he was. The few soldiers that hadn't fled at the sound of the war cries fled now. With wide eyed fear they turned their backs and ran, neglecting to pick up any type of weapon to defend themselves.

Seeing the apparitions of their fallen comrades they shouted, "Banelings!" as they ran for their lives. "Run the Keeper has come for our souls!"

Panic engulfed the camp. Richard and the Galeans broke on it like water cresting a dam. Manipulating their dead companions deftly, steel flashed, blood flowed, and the first taste of righteous vengeance whetted their appetite for more. Imperial soldiers were running every which way, bewildered and terrified at this new turn of events. Richard heard off to his left sounds like a knife slicing a piece of meat, one after the other. He looked and out of the confusion appeared the two soldiers Kahlan had directed to veer off when they were approaching the camp. With incredible, deadly speed they rode as a unit, the chain strung between them slicing the heads off of any soldier who happened to be caught in its path. They rode past in front of him and continued on, killing as they went.

Richard saw a soldier running away off to his left. He gave his horse a kick and directed him. As he was coming up behind him, the man looked and with tears staining his eyes saw death coming. He whimpered and looked this way and that for a way to escape, but there was none. With lightning speed, Richard caught up with him and sliced the man's back open with the dead soldier's sword. The man cried in pain and then fell limp to the ground, his spinal cord having been severed. As Richard rode past he turned and saw another phantom ride by trampling the man.

Richard saw a flash of light ignite the sky. For a brief second he could see the Galean soldiers in the saddle behind their ghostly counterparts, then they disappeared again into the night. He knew the flash meant that Ben's battalion had reached the armory and had set it ablaze. Now there truly were no weapons for these men to fight with. He and the rest of the Galeans pushed forward, moving the Order not only to the center of camp but also westward. Steadily they pushed, killing as they went. Richard hadn't been counting how many men he had killed, but if he had been he was sure that by now he would have lost track. Ben's plan was working. Fear had gripped the hearts of these men and sent them into a state of panic.

As they neared the center of camp, Richard could see, across the carnage, the other battalions of Galeans arriving as well, their ghostly partners in tow. They had converged and trapped the Order between them leaving the only passage out westward, exactly the way they wanted them to go. From out of the darkness a loud voice roared.

"Drive them to the rift!" It said.

It was Ben's voice, Richard knew it was Ben's voice, but in the darkness he couldn't see from whence it came. The Galeans all screamed as one and pushed their foe out of the camp westward. To the west there was a small rift in the hills. It was the only convenient way in and out of the canyon. It was there Zedd waited. Richard screamed again, his voice now hoarse from yelling so much this evening. His ashen horse mate was stained with the blood of countless fallen enemies. It was difficult to make him hold on to the sword, now slippery with it. He kicked his horse and joined the charge. The Order's soldiers ran with the speed of men who saw death on their heels. Haphazardly they bounded across the open canyon floor, some tripping in their flight only to be trampled. When they were only about a few hundred yards from the rift, Ben yelled again.

"About face! Turn and shield your eyes!"

As a unit the entire Galean force wheeled their horses about and charged in the opposite direction, each one burying their face into the dead soldier in front of them. Richard did as well. As he turned, he saw that the sun was beginning to rise. The sky taking on a red hue as the first rays of day peeked out over the mountains. Taking only a second to think that they had spent the entire night fighting and killing thousands of vile creatures, he too buried his head into the back of his achromic accomplice.

Just as he did a violent concussion ripped through the air, nearly knocking him from his horse and, despite his eyes being closed, he saw a brilliant flash light up the morning sky. Zedd had truly done it. Just like Andre, Zedd had cast a light web about the rift in the valley. He didn't need to look. A light web was one of the most powerful spells a wizard could cast. Zedd wasn't even entirely sure he could conjure it when they had first discussed it. But now he had and Richard knew that every last one of the Imperial Order's soldiers was caught in the blast. He and the Galeans had just narrowly escaped it themselves by turning. The Order had died to a man, there was no question. Every last one of them had died before sunrise, just as Kahlan had decreed.

A cheer erupted across the valley. Everywhere on the canyon floor men were tossing aside the dead soldiers and raising their red and brown stained arms in the air in triumph. They had won!

Wheeling his horse around Richard rode to the center of the field. The morning sun had finally crested the peaks and was raining down warm, glorious sunlight on the valley. As he slowly approached he saw Kahlan and Cara there on horseback hugging each other in victory. Cara gave Richard a glance and a smile, Kahlan turned.

"We did it!" She shouted to him, a huge grin on her mud covered face.

"You did it Mother Confessor." He said. "If you hadn't killed their wizard this whole battle would have turned out very differently."

"I only did my duty as Mother Confessor Richard. I'm sworn to protect these people. Today was a victory for the entire Midlands and for each of us. We all played our parts. If you hadn't shown the soldiers how to eliminate the sentries quietly this would have ended quickly. If Zedd hadn't cast that light web we'd still be fighting. If Cara hadn't come up with the idea to cover ourselves in mud the men wouldn't have believed their fallen friends were returning from the dead to kill them. And if Ben hadn't come up with the entire brilliant plan in the first place I don't know what we would have done. Where is Ben anyway?" She asked.

"Over there." Cara said looking off to her right smiling. Richard noticed. "I see him over by the tree line."

Both Richard and Kahlan looked and saw Ben dismounted, patting the back of a Galean soldier he was talking too. They all smiled as they watched him approach. Ben gave the man another pat on the back and turned back to his horse standing just by the tree line. He reached down and plucked a flower from the field and smelled it, lifting his face to the sun beating down upon the valley. Then, just as he was about to reach his horse, a group of about twenty men burst out of the woods to his left. They ran at him and encircled him. In worry Richard, Kahlan, and Cara watched, too far away to be able to help. At first Richard thought that the men must be left over Imperial troops, but as he looked closer he saw that they were not wearing any military uniforms, but regular civilian clothes.

The men circled Ben. He instinctively assumed a defensive stance, his hands made into loose fists raised to his cheeks. One man advanced on him. Ben brought the butt of his hand to the man's nose in an upward motion, dropping him in a heap. Another rushed at him. Ben quickly sidestepped and brought his right knee to meet the top of the lunging man's head. He too went down in a heap. Some of the men backed up. Richard, Kahlan, and Cara all brought their horses around and charged off to help Ben. As they charged Richard saw one of the men bark an order to the rest. With incredible speed they all, as one, rushed Ben. He got a few good shots in but quickly the men subdued him. In horror the three watched as the leader took out a club and bashed Ben over the head, knocking him unconscious. From out of the woods more men appeared leading horses, not war horses like Richard was riding but regular work horses. The men all mounted up, the leader placing Ben over his horse in front of him, and disappeared back into the woods up the hillside.

Richard, Kahlan, and Cara arrived at the tree line. Richard dismounted, and inspected the two men that had first tried to apprehend Ben. They were both dead.

"What are you doing? We have to catch them!" Cara screamed at him.

"Cara they are riding work horses. Smaller, lighter and much faster than these monsters we're riding. We'll never catch them, but they left good tracks. Don't worry we'll find Ben."

"Who do you think they were? Imperials?" Kahlan asked.

"I don't think so. These men aren't wearing uniforms. I don't know the answer yet but perhaps one of their fallen comrades can help us." Richard said as he gave Cara a glance and then studied the ground. "Cara, don't worry we'll find him." He said as Cara cast a worried gaze to the trees.

* * *

Ben's head was swimming. It throbbed in pain from where he had been whacked. Slowly he was gaining awareness. He had been captured after the battle by a group of men. Who they were, he didn't know. He did a quick body check. His head still hurt too much to open his eyes. He realized that his hands were chained above his head. His feet weren't touching the floor, but rather he dangled in midair from his wrists, the shackles about them cutting deep. He groaned.

"Well, well look who's finally awake." Came a silvery female voice from the darkness behind his eyelids.

He heard her approach and then felt a stinging pain surge through the skin on his left side. He winced in pain and shrunk back from it as his skin blistered and broke.

"What's the matter my pet? Don't like the sting of my agiel?" He felt the woman grab him by the back of the head and pull him forward. He could feel her hot breath on his face. "Trust me, that is only a taste my pet. I've got much grander things planned for you."

Ben opened his eyes. She was mere inches from his face. He stared into her eyes. Her green eyes…


	10. Seh'ra

(Sorry its taken so long for a new chapter. Life has kind of gotten crazy. Enjoy. One small warning this chapter is slightly graphic.)

**Seh'ra**

Ben finally came to. Consciousness hit him like a wall. His head ached. Every inch of him ached. Slowly he rolled his head to try and loosen the tension in his neck only to find that any movement brought more pain everywhere else. He let out a long slow groan. From somewhere in the darkness cast by his still shut eyelids, he heard her giggle. In terror his eyes slammed opened only to show him a hard stone floor and his feet, bound at the ankles, dangling six inches above it. Below his feet a puddle of sweat and blood, his blood, pooled. As it radiated out from below him, the vile mixture started to snake its way through the grout between the stone tiles, turning left here and right there, always at right angles, until it finally reached a drain near the corner of the room. Following its meandering path through the room, he searched for the source of his terror. The room was dark. Usually some light from the window in the next room, her sleeping chambers, escaped and invaded his torture cell, but that was not the case now. It had to be the middle of the night. Searching was difficult.

Ben was naked, his arms bound behind him up to the elbow. From that binding he was suspended from the high vaulted ceiling leaving him in an odd position with his chest parallel to the floor and his feet hanging beneath him. This had become her favorite way to suspend him. She had tried many different ways from simply hanging him upright from his wrists to even suspending him upside down by his ankles, but this position clearly brought him the most discomfort, exactly her goal. Being suspended in this manner placed a great deal of pressure on his shoulder joints. Even the slightest movement brought excruciating pain and would even tear his shoulder right out of its socket if he wasn't careful. He had lost track of how many times that had happened, especially since she had developed a liking to beating him while suspended this way.

Every day he had been beaten, usually multiple times. Sometimes "the nothing", as he had taken to calling her in his mind, would do it by herself. Other times she would invite other Mord'Sith to join her in her escapades, but never would she let them do it themselves. Always she had a hand in it. Recently she had allowed the other Mord'Sith to start raping him at night. Their agiels jammed inside him causing more pain than he thought was possible. If he didn't please them, the beatings only got worse from both the Mord'Sith he didn't please and the nothing. It was hell. No it was beyond hell. It was death over and over again.

Literally it was. Twice, that he could remember, he had died during the pummeling, only to be brought back with the breath of life. The only way that he had escaped a total and complete mental break down was by shutting himself off, taking himself to another place entirely. He would imagine sitting in the rocking chair that his father had made, his sisters in each arm. In his mind he would sing to them as the light cast by the warm fire licked their faces. Even still, despite the safe haven he had created in his mind, he knew he was on the edge of that breakdown. He wondered to himself what was worse, actually breaking down or the knowledge that you were on the edge of it and not being able to do anything to stop it.

It had been a week since he had been captured, by Ben's reckoning based on the rising and falling of the sun in the window in the next room. However, he couldn't be sure that he was correct. He had lost consciousness from the shear severity of the drubbings so many times that he couldn't be sure if he had been there a week or perhaps even months. It felt like he had been there for years.

Slowly he panned his eyes back and forth across his field of vision. It was the middle of the night so most likely there were two of them, the nothing and one of her sisters come to molest him again. He couldn't find them. Perhaps he had only imagined the laugh. Maybe it was only his tired mind playing dirty tricks on him. Despite thinking better of it, he struggled against his restraints and swung his legs causing him to spin, the pressure on his shoulders was almost too much. Spinning to his right he finally spotted her in the darkness, or at least he spotted her red boots covered with patches where his blood had dried to a sickening brown-rust color. She was alone, seated on a black leather ottoman with her legs crossed, her agiel dangling from her wrist on a gold chain.

The sight of her put him into a panic. He wiggled hard to try and free himself from his bindings, but to no avail. He let out an exasperated whimper. He hated himself for letting it escape. She laughed again. The sound not only sent a shiver down his spine but awakened a rage inside of him. He did the only thing he had the power to do in his position. He spat at her. He watched as the spit mixed with blood arced through the air and landed just in front of her foot.

"Tsk tsk tsk." She scolded. "That's not very nice my pet. You keep that up and I'll have to go get Alicia. You don't want that do you?" She asked mockingly. Alicia was one of her sisters. Two days earlier, at least according to Ben's reckoning, Alicia had been allowed to rape him. She had been the most brutal out of all the Mord'Sith in so doing and had forced him to do a great many disgusting things, sometimes even bringing him to tears. He hated himself for that too. However, near the end of their time together, she was strangling him by placing her agiel across his windpipe while she forced him to pleasure her. However in her moment of release she became too overwhelmed and jammed her agiel hard into his throat nearly crushing his windpipe and killing him. If she had done so the nothing could not have revived him with the breath of life. Since then Alicia had been kept under close watch by the nothing whenever she was with him, but she still raped him constantly.

He convulsed against his restraints again, harder this time, but as he did he could feel his shoulder on the verge of tearing. It forced him to stop.

"Come now my pet, you need to relax." She said as she uncrossed her legs and leaned forward so that he could see her face. "Struggling isn't going to help at all. Didn't you learn that lesson with Reeta?" She oozed as a snake of a smile appeared on her face out of the darkness.

Reeta was her most trusted sister and had been the first allowed to punish him. She had beaten him mercilessly for hours, then nearing the end of their session she decided to use her favorite approach. She placed her agiel at the base of his skull and whispered in his ear "Now don't you dare move sweetie. I've got something special for you." He heard her inhale and attempted to move out of the way of the coming blow. Instead what he succeeded in doing was to cause her blow to land not at the base of his skull but on the spine at the base of his neck. His body had immediately gone limp. He knew, in his mind, that she had just paralyzed him. The nothing, who had been sitting on her black ottoman the whole time watching, leaped up in distress. She too feared he had been paralyzed, which greatly diminished how she could cause him pain. Luckily the paralysis had only been temporary, but it was another hard lesson learned.

"You see I'm not going to train you tonight and none of the sisters are going to have you either." She got up and started toward him, her skin tight leather creaking with every move and her boots pounding against the stone floor. Click! Clack! Click! Clack! She paused in front of him, straddling his head. Slowly she ran a gloved finger along his spine and up the back of his neck.

"So there's no need for this!" She screamed as she stepped back and jammed her finger under his nose, making him smell the sweat she had just collected from his back. She shoved his head back causing him to swing back and forth, placing incredible strain on his already very sore shoulders. "There's really no need to be nervous, my pet. You see I have something special planned for you tonight."

She grabbed the rope that held him up to stop him from swinging and knelt down on a knee so that their faces were mere inches apart. Ben stared into her green eyes. He stared into the nothingness behind them. He knew this woman had once been his sister, but he didn't recognize a single part of her, nor did he understand how she was there standing in front of him. At first he thought he had been dreaming when he saw her the day he had been brought here, but this was not a dream or even a nightmare, it was real. He still couldn't understand it. She was dead!

"I'm going to tell you a story, my pet. Parts of it I'm sure you already know, but other parts I know, from the look you've had on your face since you got here, you're dying to hear." She lightly rubbed her agiel against his cheek while puckering her lips at him to mimic a kiss, then sat cross-legged on the floor in front of him interrupting the meandering river of sweat and blood. "So pay careful attention because there will be a test later and if you get any part of it wrong I'm going to get Reeta and Alicia and leave you to them unattended." A devious smile crept across her face.

"Look into my eyes." She said. Ben looked into the nothing that was there. "You know who I am don't you my pet. Ever since you got here you've been a quiet little one. But I know you know me. What's my name?"

A single tear slowly trickled out of Ben's right eye and dripped from his cheek to the stone floor, adding itself to the sweat and blood.

"What's my name, worm?" She insisted.

Choking back sobs Ben whispered, "Seh'ra."

"Louder! Scream it! Scream my name!"

"Seh'ra!" Ben screamed as tears began to flow more solidly.

"And who am I to you?" She asked.

"My ba- ba- baby sister. Family." Ben managed past restrained sobs.

"Oh. Poor pet. 'My ba- ba- ba-'… bullshit!" She mocked as she spat in his face. "I'm nothing to you, just like I was nothing to that bastard father of yours. Let the story begin." She said waving a hand in the air.

"So I was once a happy, playful young girl with a family that I thought loved me. Mother had died giving birth to my twin sister, Aimee, and I but Papa and our older brother, Ben, never seemed to hold it against us. We were one happy family. Papa was the town carpenter and Ben was his devoted helper, which left Aimee and I to spend the days frolicking through town and along the countryside. We couldn't have been happier. Every night Papa would kiss us goodnight as Ben sang to us to help us fall asleep. I loved them."

More tears added to the puddle.

"Then one day, when I was seven, the D'haran army arrived to conscript soldiers into their ranks. Aimee and I had been left alone at home, like usual. All of a sudden there was a terrible bang as the front door of our house burst off its hinges. We cowered in the corner, afraid of what monster might walk through the door. As we watched in horror, the most stunningly beautiful woman, dressed from head to toe in red leather strode through the open hole where the door had been. Seeing us she indicated to the soldiers accompanying her to take us. We clung to each other. We screamed for Papa, but he didn't come. The men struggled with us mightily but they couldn't pry us apart. Finally, they bound us together and escorted us out of the building. They lead us out of town and as we passed the last building on the outskirts of town our hearts sank. Outside of town we joined all the other girls who had also been captured by the Mord'Sith. They marched us North but just as we were about to crest the hill and leave our town out of sight, we heard our names being called. We paused and looked back and saw, standing in front of the burning town hall, you. You were calling our names. The sight lifted our spirits and gave us a ray of hope. Papa and Ben would certainly rescue us. They wouldn't let these terrible monsters have us. It was with that thought that we marched on, all the while knowing in our hearts that we would once again be a family.

The first nights were the hardest. Of course the terrible beatings we suffered during the day were bad, but it was those long, lonely, sore nights that were the worst. Unable to sleep from the pain but too tired not to. It was a terrible limbo, especially for a girl of only seven.

Aimee and I were given a special trainer. A young Mord'Sith who had apparently shown great promise and so was given the privilege of breaking us. Aimee and I of course were always beaten together, due to our special bond. It not only hurt when we were beaten, but it hurt even more to see the other. At one point, during the first week we were there, I asked our trainer, who we called Shark, why she was doing this to us. She told us flat out that our father had sold us to them. Not needing daughters due to his line of work, he had told them exactly where to find us. 'Oh don't worry dearies; he received a handsome amount for you two.' She said. I refused to believe her. I told her that our father would never do that to us. He loved us and was no doubt already on his way to save us. She had only laughed.

As the days and weeks and even months dragged on, however, my resolve began to fade. Why was it taking so long for Papa and Ben to come get us? These terrible women were hurting us. Why weren't they doing anything to stop it? Then one day I received my answer. That day, as we arrived at the torture chamber, we found Papa, on his knees, in front of Shark. We ran to him and hugged him, but he shoved us away. 'Papa?' We both asked. 'Papa, save us!' We pleaded. He only glared at us.

'He hasn't come to save you, dearies.' Said Shark. 'No, no. He's come to try and collect more money from the sale of you two. It turns out he and your brother squandered it all. Now they want more.'

'That's not true!' We screamed

'You don't believe me, ask him yourself?' She said.

'Papa?' We pleaded.

'Get those sorry bitches away from me and give me my money!' He screamed.

We were shocked.

'But Papa, they're hurting us, don't you love us?' I asked.

'How could I love worthless, good-for-nothing, tramps like you two. You took my wife from me. You think I give a lick what happens to you. Just give me my money.'

Our knees buckled. Our entire world had been sucked out from under us. Slowly our trainer approached us and whispered in our ears,

'You see? You see how your love for your father and your brother has made you weak? And where has that love gotten you? Nowhere. Your trust has made you whores, sold off to the highest bidder. If it hadn't been us it most likely would have been the men in the tavern in town he would have sold you to. At least we care enough to show you the error of your ways. Love, sadness, remorse… these feelings make you weak. However, pride, loyalty, and anger make you strong. Tell me what do you feel right now dearies?'

'Anger!' We both said through our teeth.

'Then act on it.' She said as she offered us two agiels. 'Overcome your weakness and join your true family.'

With fire in our eyes, we both stood and took our agiels. The pain of the touch was but an abutment to our hatred. It couldn't stop us. We purposefully strode toward the bastard kneeling in front of us and each of us jammed our agiels into the side of his head."

Ben let out a whimper. It didn't make any sense. Their father had died with the rest of the town in the burning town hall.

"Oh, does that bother you my pet." She said lifting his chin to look in his eyes. "Well the story isn't over yet. You see that day Aimee and I joined our true family. We were happy again. We belonged. We realized how love had blinded us. How our faith in you and our father had made us weak. You see, my pet, the Mord'Sith made us strong.

However, all that came crashing down one day years later, when you came to exact your revenge. Aimee and I were at the top of the temple preparing for a long day of breaking prisoners when we heard the commotion coming from down stairs. Another Mord'Sith rushed into the room and told us that a D'haran soldier was massacring our sisters down below. We waited and as we did we could hear the screams as our sisters, our family, fell one by one to his blade. Finally we could hear him rushing up the stairs. Our agiels were at the ready. The door flung open and in you strode. Just the sight of you made our blood boil. Then you had the nerve to tell us that you were there to rescue us, but we knew better. We knew you had only come to exact revenge on us for killing that bastard you called father. We tried to fend you off, but you were too strong. Somehow your rage made you so reckless we couldn't contend with you. Then slowly you drove your sword through each of us and then ran away like a coward, not even brave enough to watch us die.

But one thing happened that you didn't count on. I died first, almost immediately after you stabbed me, but Aimee remained for a few precious moments longer. In those moments, with her very last breath, she gave me the breath of life. She gave up her life to save mine. That is true family, my pet. So despite your best efforts here I am." She said with a self-satisfied smile.

Ben was torn to pieces. He didn't know what to say. How to explain to her how she had been lied to. How to tell her that he still loved her. All he could manage was,

"I'm sorry, Seh'ra. I'm so sorry. I tried."

"But you didn't try hard enough." She said bouncily as she stood back up. She was misunderstanding him. "Now did you get all of that? I sure hope you did cause I'd hate to see what happens if you GET – A – WRONG – ANSWER!" She screamed emphasizing each of the last four words with a blow to his chin, breaking his jaw. He couldn't speak now.

"Alright now… first question, my pet." She leaned in close and whispered in his ear. "Does love make you weak or strong?" She asked and spread her palms up. He wouldn't have given her the right answer but even so, he couldn't speak. He couldn't move his jaw.

"I'm waiting!" She implored.

Another tear added itself to the pool.

"Times up. I'm sorry, my pet, but you didn't give me the right answer. You've left me no choice. Reeta, Alicia, play time!" She screamed over her shoulder into the darkness of her sleeping chambers. From out of the shadows he heard a horrifying sound.

Click! Clack! Click! Clack!


	11. You Love Him

You Love Him

The rain pounded the branches above her, collecting itself on the needles of the pine and falling to the ground in large round drops. The plopping sound it made all around her made it seem as if she was in a natural hot spring, but she most definitely was not. Kahlan sat huddled underneath the large fir trying to shelter herself from the downpour. They had been traveling through torrential rain for three days now, their eastward journey only insuring that they followed the storm. Kahlan's wet travelling clothes clung to her skin, the weight of them pulling down on her, the wetness making it difficult to even move. It had been a miserable three days.

In front of her, Cara stood at the crest of the hill they were on, braving the elements, her gaze never leaving the red stone obelisk-like structure atop a small rise across the valley in front of them.

"I don't know what's taking him so long? What are we waiting for?" She asked as she shook her head to remove wet strands of hair from her face, sending droplets of water flying everywhere. She placed her hands on her hips and grunted.

"Cara, relax." Kahlan said. "Richard's a big boy. He can take care of himself. You, more than anyone, know that we can't just rush in there. It would be suicide."

Cara huffed, casting a condescending look toward Kahlan.

"I also know, more than anyone, what's going on in there." She said smoothing more wet hair back out of her face and casting another worried look at the temple.

They had been riding for three weeks straight. Well that wasn't exactly correct. They had ridden for two and a half weeks, but Cara had pushed them so hard that their horses had actually given out on them a few days ago, just as the rain had set in. After the men had ridden off with Ben, Cara had revived one of the men Ben had killed with the breath of life. They found, much to their surprise, that he wouldn't tell them anything as to where they were taking Ben, even after Cara attempted to persuade him otherwise. Kahlan had been left no choice but to confess him. She reached out, released her power from that holding place deep inside her, felt it course through her into him as time stood still, and took him. Thunder without sound shook the very air around them. Everything that man had once been was destroyed in that moment.

"How may I please you mistress?" He asked.

"Tell me where they are taking Ben." She said, her Confessor's face on.

"They are taking him to the Mord'Sith temple at Stowcroft, mistress."

Cara flinched. Kahlan knew that that had been where Cara had first been broken. It didn't make any sense though. Why would Mord'Sith be after Ben? She had had to make sure that that was who they were dealing with.

"Mord'Sith? So you wouldn't reveal where they were taking him out of loyalty to your mistress?" Kahlan asked.

"Yes, mistress, please forgive me."

Kahlan ignored his empty groveling. It didn't make any sense.

"Why are they taking him there?" She asked.

"Forgive me, mistress, I don't know. I don't know what they are going to do to him there. I only know that my former mistress was adamant about finding and capturing that man."

"Why?" She said.

"I don't know mistress, I'm sorry. I only want to serve you, but forgive me I don't know. I wish I could give you the answers you seek, but I can't. Is there any other way I may serve you?" He asked looking longingly into her blue eyes.

"Die." She said sternly, her Confessor's face never breaking. With that the man convulsed, fell to his side clutching his chest, and died, a small stream of blood leaking from his mouth to the ground. It wasn't the first time she had ordered someone under confession to die, nor did she imagine it would be the last, but still she couldn't help but have it leave a mark on her, even though she didn't show it.

She had discovered more questions than she had answers from the man, but they at least knew where Ben was headed. They had all set about packing their things, but just before they were about to mount up and leave, Zedd arrived back at camp.

"What's all the commotion, my boy?" He asked as Richard burst out of his tent and joined Cara in loading up the horses.

"Ben's been captured Zedd, we're about to leave to go after him." Kahlan said, answering for Richard who was too involved in packing to take time to answer the old wizard.

"Bags! Captured? By who?" Zedd exclaimed. "I killed all the Imperial order soldiers with that light web. The boy's plan worked perfectly."

"We don't know yet, Zedd, but their taking him to the Mord'Sith temple outside of Stowcroft. They already have a good head start on us, so we need to hurry." She said back over her shoulder as she too joined Richard and Cara in loading the horses.

"Mord'Sith! Double Bags!" He screamed.

"Come on, we've got a horse all ready for you." Richard said as he swung himself up into the saddle.

"I'm afraid I can't join you." Zedd said, his head lowered.

"What?" They all exclaimed at once.

"Don't get me wrong, I like the boy just as much as the rest of you, but there is a bigger dilemma here than his capture. The council needs to be warned of the impending threat that both the Imperial Order and the Blood of the Fold pose. By the creator, the Fold is practically in Aydindril's back yard!"

He was right and they all knew it.

"Listen I'll rush to Aydindril and once I've convinced the council to begin taking defensive measures, I'll join you." Zedd said.

"As soon as you can." Cara said.

It wasn't a question but Zedd took it as such. He walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, looking her in the eye.

"As soon as I can." He had assured her.

They had all left. Zedd heading to Aydindril with Richard, Kahlan and Cara hot on the trail of Ben's captors. Still something had bothered Kahlan about the whole situation surrounding Ben's capture. She had never seen Cara so upset about anything. She didn't quite understand it either. She knew that Cara and Ben had learned to stand each other's presence, in fact, they had almost grown to tolerate each other, but this type of worry went far beyond what one felt for someone you simply tolerated.

"This is taking too long. We have to get in there." Cara asserted, only confirming what Kahlan was thinking. She resolved that she was going to get to the bottom of it.

"What's gotten into you?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" Cara said.

"I've never seen you like this. You're acting crazy."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Cara insisted turning around to face her and crossing her arms.

"First you ride us to death, not even letting us stop at night to sleep or eat, you even ride us so hard that our horses give out on us, and now you're suggesting we go barging into a well-guarded Mord'Sith temple without even a plan or even scouting it out first. That's crazy Cara, and I know you know it! Why are you acting so bizarre?" Kahlan exclaimed.

"I'm just trying to save Ben." Cara said scratching her neck nervously. "He was pivotal in us winning that last battle and I think he could be an asset to us if there is an impending war, and the more time we sit here planning and scouting the closer we get to losing him forever. Trust me, I'm not crazy." She insisted.

"Cara, can't you hear yourself. While I want to rescue Ben just as much as you do, we can't rescue him if we're dead. What you're suggesting could be lethal to us all. Think. I mean if I didn't know any better I'd say it was like you're in-" Realization hit Kahlan like a slap to the face. She finally understood. "Oh my stars!" She said in bewilderment.

"What?" Cara said her head tilting to the side, a confused look on her face.

"I can't believe I didn't see it sooner." Kahlan said, looking off to her left, placing a wet hand to her wet forehead.

"What?" Cara exclaimed.

Kahlan looked into her eyes and smiled, the rain hitting the ground the only sound reverberating through the air now syrupy with tension.

"You love him." She said, the sound breaking apart the gelatinous atmosphere.

Cara rolled her eyes and shifted her hips.

"Now you're sounding crazy." She said.

"Am I?" Kahlan asked.

"Yes, you are." Cara avowed. "Firstly, Mord'Sith don't fall in love. Secondly, that man is by far the most infuriating, confusing, and complicated man I have ever met. I can't make heads or tails of him on a good day, not to mention the bad ones. To suggest that I could have fallen in love with him, of all people, is absolutely and completely absurd."

"Is it now?" Kahlan asked, the smile on her face getting wider.

"Of course it is. Like I said, he is the most frustrating man I have ever met."

"All I'm hearing is that you spend a good deal of time thinking about him and that you find him mysterious. You know it isn't something to be ashamed of Cara. Love is a wonderful thing."

"Stop it." Cara said, turning away from her to look at the temple again.

"He's a fine man, Cara. Strong, virtuous, attractive…"

"Stop it." Cara insisted over her shoulder.

"You two _would_ make a cute couple..." Kahlan chided, her smile turning into a grin.

"Stop it!" Cara exclaimed.

"How _did_ he look in that mud, Mistress Cara? You certainly could get a good look at his "assets", couldn't you?" Kahlan teased.

Cara turned back to her, a scowl to match Kahlan's grin painted on her face, anger, but also something else, burning behind her eyes.

"Here comes Richard." She said venomously, trying with all her might to change the subject.

Kahlan got up and started toward the crest of the hill, her wet clothes pulling at her every step, the rain now falling more heavily upon her as she left her shelter under the pine. She smoothed her hair back and placed an arm around Cara and said, "Oh don't worry it will be our little secret."

Cara quickly turned her head toward Kahlan, sending water flying off her hair, and scowled at her again. Kahlan playfully smiled back.

Richard appeared out of the torrent, soaked to the bone, slowly trudging the rest of the way up the hill to meet them. His face showed not only the effort each step required in this horrible weather, but also how dire the situation was. She locked eyes with him and with a raise of her eyebrows silently asked him what he thought about their chances of rescuing Ben. Slowly, ever so slightly he shook his head no. Just from that Kahlan could tell things were not good. Richard slogged the few remaining feet up the hill and with a big exhale placed his hands on his hips as he stopped in front of them.

"Well?" Cara asked expectantly.

"Doesn't look good." Richard said. "There are at least a dozen Mord'Sith in there with at least twice that many slaves like the ones Ben encountered on the battle field, men not necessarily well trained but desperate to please their mistress, and that's just from what I could gather from the outside. While the weather might have helped us in veiling our approach, it has also ruled out any chance of us scaling the walls. Without a doubt Ben is up there," Richard said indicating the one lone window at the peak of the structure, "so if we can't scale the outside then our only hope in getting there would be to fight our way up the inside, a battle in which we are greatly outnumbered. Even though the confined space would lessen the advantage that numbers would afford in the battle, I'm afraid that I'm not sure how we're going to pull this off."

"What do you mean you're not sure how we're going to pull this off? If we don't act, and I mean now, we might lose Ben forever. You're the Seeker for crying out loud! You defeated Darken Rahl and the Keeper! Isn't this what you do, find the answers? So find them!" Cara insisted.

"Cara, I'm trying. I just don't see any way we can try to save Ben without forfeiting our lives in the process. If we die then we will have been of no help to him at all. Will we? I've been wracking my brain since I left the temple trying to find any other way and, I'm sorry, but I just can't see how we can accomplish this." Richard said. Cara cast a dejected look toward the temple as her brow furrowed and her shoulders slumped, the hopelessness of the situation finally hitting her. "If only there was another way into that top chamber without having to fight our way through the main interior." Richard said almost to himself.

"What did you say?" Cara asked.

"What? Oh, nothing, I was just thinking out loud that if there were a way for us to get to that top chamber without having to fight every Mord'Sith in that horrid temple, then we might have a chance.

"There might be…" Cara said.

"What do you mean?" Kahlan asked.

"Well, unless the temple has changed since I was last there, then there is a secret tunnel through the hillside that leads to a narrow stairway that leads directly up to that chamber. It was constructed in case the tower was ever under siege and the head mistress needed to escape some other way than the main entrance."

"Would it be guarded?" Richard asked.

"It may be, but very lightly, one maybe two Mord'Sith at the most."

"That's perfect!" Kahlan exclaimed. "Why didn't you mention it before?"

"Because the door to the tunnel is also spelled." Cara explained.

"Spelled? In what way?" Richard asked.

"With a Resonating Spell." Cara said.

"A Resonating Spell? I've lived in the Wizard's Keep most of my life and I've never heard of that. What is it?" Kahlan asked, smoothing her wet hair back again.

"It's a barrier spell. It works almost like waves in a tub. You know how if you move in a tub full of water it creates waves and if you time your movements correctly with the waves you can make them get bigger, even to the point that they overflow out of the tub? Well, this spell works much in the same way. Once someone comes in contact with it, it creates a magical link between that person and the barrier. The link works almost as a magical feedback loop, so as the barrier feeds power into the person it is linked to, it merges that power with the person's han and feeds even more power back into itself, which it then feeds back into the person, who then is used to amplify it even more, and so on until the power contained in the link becomes so great that the person explodes from the sheer force of it." Cara explained.

"Well, then how do we get past it?" Richard asked.

"_We_ don't. I do." Cara said. "Only Mord'Sith possess the power to be able to repel the spell and therefore pass through the barrier. I'm going to have to go in their alone."

Just as the weight of what Cara had just explained to them began to settle on Richard and Kahlan, a noise from the woods down the hill behind them set them all on edge. Richard bent his knees taking a defensive position as he drew the Sword of Truth from its scabbard, the sword announcing its presence, its distinctive ring cutting through the thick air. Kahlan and Cara spun around both drawing their daggers and agiels respectively. They all prepared themselves for a confrontation. The sound was without a doubt the sound of someone running through the brush behind them. Kahlan tightened her grip on her daggers, a grimace on her face. The footsteps were getting closer. Cara gingerly sidestepped farther off to the right, placing a bit of distance between herself and Richard and Kahlan so that the assailant couldn't get easy shots on all three of them at once. Kahlan could hear the rain making a pinging noise as it struck the steel of Richard's blade. The footsteps were even closer still. Cara still edged her way off to the right more, but now she was also pushing forward, hoping to hide behind a tree, so as to sneak up on the incoming threat as they approached, allowing them to run right by her so that she could surround them. The footsteps were on top of them now. As Kahlan tightened her grip even more on her daggers a young man, no older than thirty, came bounding over the hill top, his brown shirt and pants soaked through. As he rushed right past Cara, hiding behind the tree, he caught sight of Richard and Kahlan. Sliding to a stop on the wet ground, he opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, but before he could even get a syllable out Cara drove her agiels into the back of his head, knocking him unconscious.


	12. Rescue

Rescue

The man fell to the ground in a heap, smacking his face hard against the ground, luckily for him it was soaking wet and absorbed most of the impact, leaving an oval shaped impression where his head hit. Slowly, all three of them approached. Where there was one, there were usually others. They all knew that this man could simply be a diversion to draw their attention away from an attack from elsewhere. With his eyes meticulously scanning the woods surrounding them, Richard moved in closer and flipped the man onto his back with his foot. Mud obscured the man's face, but not so much that they couldn't make out his distinguishing features. His sharp angular jaw only accented his pronounced cheek bones and his narrow nose, a wet mat of black hair topping his head. None of them recognized this man. Richard indicated to Cara to watch the woods. She acknowledged his directive by turning around and gazing out into the trees. Cautiously, Richard bent down, grabbed the man by the shoulders, and shook him.

Slowly he opened his eyes, a dazed look of confusion and pain on his face. He groaned and rolled his head to try and loosen the knot Cara had created with her agiels. As his vision cleared, he saw Richard standing over him. Startled to see someone so close to him after the shock of Cara's welcome, he shrugged Richard's arms away from his shoulders and quickly back pedaled his way to his feet. Kahlan was on him like a flash. With lightning speed she brought one of her daggers up to his neck and, with her other hand on his chest, pinned him up against a tree.

"That will be about enough of that." She said. "You'd better explain yourself real fast, or your next breath might just be your last. Why were you sneaking up on us?"

A look of fear awakened in the man's wide eyes. He stared down his nose at the dagger Kahlan had pinned across his neck. Trying to escape its piercing touch, he attempted to move his head backward, but only found the trunk of the tree he was pinned to. Kahlan took the move as a sign of aggression, she pushed the dagger a little harder into his neck choking him ever so slightly, causing his mouth to open and his tongue to hang loosely out of the side as he made a gagging sound, and then she applied some upward pressure, lifting the man to his tip toes.

"I said that will be enough. Now start talking!" She growled.

"Mutha Confessurg," he struggled to get out against the pressure of the dagger, "Kai didn't mean coo stargle youb. Forgib me, Kai don't mean youb any hahm."

As a Confessor, Kahlan could read people like they were a book. She could tell when they were telling even the most innocent white lies. She could remember the heartache she felt for some women as she overheard them asking their significant others where they had been the night before, to hear the men say that they were only out with their drinking buddies, and to know that they were lying. She felt for those women, but it also affected her on a more personal level. It was a burden on her heart to know every single time anyone close to her was lying to her. Every time that occurred it shattered her very being. She tried to block out those memories, but still it hurt beyond what words could express. The only person she had never had to block out any memories of was Richard. Never once had he ever lied to her. She loved him so much. Still her abilities were her own personal millstone about her neck, but in situations like this they had their advantages. She could read this man like a road sign. He was telling the truth. She released the pressure on the dagger but kept it against his neck.

"Then why were you sneaking up on us?" She asked

"I wasn't sneaking, Mother Confessor. I'm sorry if I took you all off guard." He said.

"Does it feel like you took us off guard?" Cara said over her shoulder, a steely glare in her eyes.

The man slowly reached up, not wanting to alarm Kahlan, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I suppose not, but either way. The reason I'm here is that we had just received word, back in Stowcroft, that the Seeker and Mother Confessor were in the area. I ran straight here, to where the reports said you last were, in hopes that you might be able to help us."

"Help you how?" Kahlan said as she relaxed the pressure on the man's neck even more.

"Well, I assume, since you are all up here on this hill opposite the Mord'Sith temple, that you have heard that, after months of dormancy, the temple has reawakened." The man said still rubbing his neck.

"We got wind of it." Richard said incredulously.

"Well, the families of Stowcroft have been watching it very carefully, fearing that the darkness that resided in that temple might return. The recent activity has put everyone on edge. We will not let those monsters steal our children from us again. Too much misery and loss have been visited on the people of our village. We will not stand by and let those demons rape us of our happiness. We had been planning on making a stand against them. But then, when we heard that the Seeker was in the area, we couldn't believe our luck. Who better to lead us in this than the very one who defeated Darken Rahl and everything that man stood for, including them?" He said pointing at the temple. Kahlan removed the dagger from his neck, but left her hand on the man's chest. "Please say you'll help us." He begged, the emotion in his voice making it evident that he was telling the truth, confirming what Kahlan already knew thanks to her powers. She released him from her grip. The man rubbed the red line on his neck left by Kahlan's dagger. Cara huffed in disapproval.

Richard locked eyes with Kahlan. Words weren't needed; she knew exactly what he was asking her. Slowly she nodded to indicate that the man was telling the truth. He sighed.

"What's your name?" Richard asked.

"Cale." The man said.

"Okay, Cale. I'll help you." Richard said.

"What!" Cara exclaimed as she turned back from the woods and threw her arms in the air. "Richard I understand that you always seem to have this need to take on the next charity case that happens to hobble by, but have you forgotten that the only reason we're here is to save Ben. We can't fight two battles."

"What does she mean?" Cale asked, a worried look coming to his face. "You mean you didn't come to stop the Mord'Sith?"

"No! We're here to save a friend. So I'm afraid you'll have to learn to protect your families without the Seeker's help. We won't be able to do your dirty work for you." Cara returned with malice in her voice, pointing an agiel at the man.

"Yeah! Why should we listen to you? You're part of the problem anyway. I recognize you. It wasn't that long ago you were in charge at that temple. If it weren't for you the suffering and pain that many of our families, your very own people, have experienced never would have happened. If you ask me you and every one of your kind deserve death for the crimes you've committed to our people!" Cale screamed, his face turning a bright red in his anger.

"Would you care to try and carry out that sentence?" Cara asked as she started toward him agiels at the ready.

"With pleasure." Cale screamed back, raising his balled fists to his red cheeks.

Cale didn't know what he was getting himself into. There was no possible way he could win a fight against Cara if she were in a good mood, and ever since Ben had been captured she hadn't been. Luckily Richard recognized the threat to Cale's life and stepped in, grabbing Cara by the arm, before she reached Cale, and dragging her over to Kahlan.

They made a small circle. Cara seethed as she stared back over her shoulder at Cale. In a hushed voice Richard said,

"Cara calm down. This can work to our advantage."

"What are you talking about? We don't have time for this. Ben is dying in there and you want to help these pitiful imbeciles. Let me kill him so we can move past this idiocy."

"Cara listen to me. Kahlan and I can't go through this Resonating Spell with you right?"

"Yes. Your point?"

"My point is that if we turn him away and don't help them, then Kahlan and I won't be able to do anything to help you rescue Ben but stand here on the hillside, get even wetter, and think happy thoughts. But, if we help these townsfolk fight the Mord'Sith we can create a diversion that will hopefully draw even more Mord'Sith away from the temple and Ben and make his rescue easier and maybe even put these people's minds at ease."

Cara crossed her arms. She never liked it when Richard contradicted her with logic that defeated her usually brash point. She rolled her eyes.

"I still think you should let me kill him." She said.

Richard smiled, gave Cara's shoulder a squeeze and then walked past them both.

"We'll help you Cale." He said. Cale's breathing was still hard but he had lowered his hands. He still kept a wary eye on Cara however. "How many men do you have?"

"At least fifty more than willing to fight." Cale said.

"That'll have to do." Richard said patting the man on the shoulder. "You go get your fellow warriors and meet us back here."

"Oh, thank you Seeker!" He said as he starting running back towards the woods from whence he had appeared. He ran by Kahlan giving her a warm smile back over his shoulder that she returned. He didn't see Cara step in front of him, however. She lowered her shoulder into him, stopping him in his tracks. For a moment they stared at each other, their faces mere inches apart, ill intent hiding behind their eyes. Luckily, Cale quickly snapped out of it, realizing that his town's salvation was more important than a squabble with Cara. "Thank you, Seeker! Thank you!" He screamed back at them as he disappeared into the woods.

After he had gone Richard placed his hands on his hips and gave Cara a disapproving look.

"Was that really necessary?" He asked.

"What?" Cara said.

"Is there something I don't know? I'd have never thought that you'd be so worried about Ben." Richard said.

Cara quickly cast a stern look at Kahlan, who was trying to hold back laughter as she looked at the ground.

* * *

Ben was in his father's rocking chair. His sisters sound asleep in each arm. The warm, soft light of the fire illuminated their faces in uneven intervals as the flames shot up and licked the air above the hearth. He looked down to the one nestled in his left arm. Seh'ra. Softly he stroked her cheek. Almost in protest of the disturbance, she raised a tiny hand and lazily touched her face, making a tiny cooing sound as she did. He smiled to himself and started to sing again the song he had sung earlier to put them to sleep.

"_What secret hand removes the sun_

_and brings the gloomy shade?_

_For lo, the night has just begun_

_to have its fearful way._

_No sun, no moon our eyes do see_

_and darkness veils the land_

_and fear itself grips you and me _

_inside its icy hand_

_But fear not, my love, as day arrives _

_the light shall come again_

_for now, my love just close those eyes _

_and rest that weary head_

_for now, my love, just close those eyes _

_and rest that weary head_

_The night conceals the monstrous things_

_even stories ne'r do tell_

_the evil that would kill our kings_

_and cast on us a spell_

_Darkness is their home we're told_

_for in that murk they play_

_But rest dear one, we know of old_

_they cannot stop the day_

_Fear not, my love, as day arrives _

_the light shall come again_

_for now, my love just close those eyes _

_and rest that weary head_

_for now, my love, just close those eyes _

_and rest that weary head_"

A jarring blow brought him back to reality. He swung from his restraints, his shoulders in excruciating pain. Seh'ra spat on his right cheek, the viscous liquid slowly trickling down to his chin.

"Don't you dare start singing that song again!" She screamed.

She reached back, winding up for another blow, but just before she unleashed it another Mord'Sith came bursting through the door of her bed chambers, her boots clacking across the floor very fast as she ran to his torture chamber. Seh'ra quickly gave him a shot to his ribs. It hurt, but not nearly as much as it would have if she hadn't been distracted by the commotion.

"Mistress!" The other Mord'Sith exclaimed as her boots appeared in Ben's field of vision.

"What is it Reeta?" Seh'ra demanded as she rested and arm on Ben's back, putting more weight on his spent shoulders.

"Mistress, I'm so sorry to disturb you, but we are under attack."  
"What do you mean we're under attack."

"Mistress, it appears the townsfolk of Stowcroft have risen up against us."

"Ha!" Seh'ra chortled. "Dispose of them. They'll learn their lesson well enough, I think, if none of their fighters return."

"I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than that Mistress."

"What do you mean?"

"Mistress they're being led by the Seeker and the Mother Confessor." Ben tried to look up at Reeta through his swollen eyelids.

"Really?" Seh'ra laughed, as she grabbed a hand full of Ben's hair and pulled his head back. She bent down putting her mouth right next to his ear. "Did you hear that? Your friends are actually trying to rescue you. Apparently you're not quite as pathetic as I originally thought you were. Too bad they don't know you like I know you."

"Mistress what should we do?" Reeta asked.

"Meet them. If they want a fight, they'll get a fight. You lead the sisters, Reeta."

"What will you do, Mistress?"

"This little worm and I have plans together." She said as she moved around behind Ben and grabbed his buttocks. "You've all looked like you've had so much fun with this one at night, I think I'll give him a go, and those pesky little fleas down there aren't going to keep me from having my fun. Why, can't you handle it Reeta? It's just one little Seeker and his Confessor. I'd hate to see what would happen to you if you couldn't carry out your Mistress's orders…"

"Oh no, Mistress. I can handle it just fine. I'll organize the sisters and have this rebellion crushed by nightfall." Reeta said nervously.

"Good, now leave us. We need some alone time."

"Yes Mistress." Reeta said. As she shuffled her way past the door to Seh'ra's bed chambers, Ben could hear her begin to bark orders as she descended the stairs down to the main sections of the temple.

Seh'ra spun Ben around, bent down and kissed him violently, then slapped him across the face.

"This is going to be fun, I promise." She said as she spun him around again and slapped his right butt cheek. "Well, at least for me." She said.

As she was about to violate him, a violent crash from behind Ben stopped her. Ben tried to see what the noise had been but was unable to. He could feel Seh'ra let go of him and spin around to see what had made that horrible bang. From the unknown behind him, Ben heard a voice ring out through the silence that had enveloped the room.

"Touch him again and I'll kill you!" It said with lethal malice.

Seh'ra screamed and rushed across the room, her boots clicking in rapid succession as she rushed headlong at the intruder. Leather creaked as she and the unknown adversary struggled with each other. They grunted as they wrestled, then Ben heard a smack followed by an aggressive exhale as someone was hit, reverberate through the air. One of them crashed into Ben sending him not only swinging but also spinning. His world was a haze through his swollen eyes. All he could make out was two red blurs. One standing near a gaping hole in the wall that had been behind him and the other laying sprawled across the floor, unconscious. After a few tense moments he finally stopped spinning. Off to his left he could see the one laying on the floor. He blinked, as best he could, to clear his eyes and saw, through fuzzy vision, that it was Seh'ra on the floor, a large bruise beginning to form above her right eye. The other one was still behind him, whoever it was.

He felt them grab the rope holding him up and then grab his shoulder, spinning him around. His vision was shrouded in red. He heard the leather creak as she bent down. An unexpected yet familiar face appeared in front of him. Cara, with a troubled look, gingerly brushed his sweat soaked hair back.

"Oh, Brass Buttons, what have you gotten yourself into now?" She said as she placed her shoulder into his midsection and lifted him, removing the pressure on his shoulders. Quickly she untied his restraints and carried him out the hole in the wall. He saw now that it was a door leading to a narrow staircase. She guardedly carried him down those stairs which then led to a narrow tunnel, about one hundred yards long. At the end of the tunnel was a small door. On the floor just before the door he saw a young, blond Mord'Sith unconscious on the floor, having been no match for Cara. They burst through the door and into the torrent. Rain was coming down in buckets, every drop somehow finding a wound Seh'ra had left on Ben. It hurt. Recognizing his pain, Cara, like a bat out of hell, carried him across the valley and into the woods. Off to their left he could hear some type of commotion, no doubt the battle the Seeker was waging against the Mord'Sith, but he couldn't see any of it. As Cara carried him through the tree line, she finally bent down and gingerly laid him on a bed of pine needles. Removing a blanket from her pack, she carefully covered his nakedness. She stroked his forehead again.

"You're going to be alright now, Buttons." She said.

With that he physically and mentally collapsed. He felt the warm sensation of relief flood his veins as his world went black.

* * *

She slowly began to come out of her stupor. Her forehead above her right eye stung with pain. What had happened? With realization hitting her, she opened her eyes and sat up, spinning around to look to her left. He was gone. She could feel blood rushing to her face as her hatred burned ever hotter.


	13. He's Awake

He's Awake

The warmth of the fire felt wonderful. Its embrace a sharp contrast from the miserable cold he had had to endure for so many days in their pursuit of Ben's captors. He breathed a sigh of relief and sank back into the large wooden chair he was sitting in. Kahlan heard him exhale and cast a smile in his direction from across the room. As he smiled back, she turned her attention back to the two young children, a boy and a girl, in her lap. She gestured wildly as she recounted stories of their adventures throughout D'hara and the Midlands to the two saplings. The children watched in wide-eyed wonder as she told them of the horrible banelings, and shadrin they had vanquished, as Kahlan's smile beamed all the while into the room. He couldn't imagine his life without her.

He smiled to himself as he watched her collect some of the fabric at the shoulder of the dress she was wearing to prevent it from slipping off. She quickly jerked her arm into the air to slide the fabric more onto her shoulder. The children looked up at her hand as if she were about to do some magic with it but she simply placed it back on the little boy's back as she continued the story.

Both he and Kahlan had borrowed clothes, until their wet ones could dry, from Cale and his wife, who after the rescue and battle had offered their house not only as an inn for all of them but also as a hospital for Ben. Not wanting to move Ben too far in his current condition, they had happily accepted. Cale's wife was a rather short and stocky woman so the dress she had offered Kahlan did not even come close to fitting her. Kahlan was rather taller than most women, but still very slender and athletic in her build. The dress did nothing to accentuate her natural beauty, bunching here and there, barely coming down to the middle of her calf at the hem, and always threatening to fall right off her slim angular shoulders, exposing her chest. Richard laughed at the battle she was fighting but losing with the enormous dress.

He on the other hand had the exact opposite problem. Cale was a great deal smaller and skinnier than Richard. So, the white shirt and green trousers Cale had given him were considerably too small. The pants were almost the length of knickers. Much like Kahlan's dress, they only came down to just below his knees and were oppressively tight. The shirt didn't even cover his entire torso. If he stood to his full height his belly button was exposed, which was why for the most part these past three days he had spent most of the time relaxing in the chairs. The shirt was so tight on him that he was afraid to breathe too heavily for fear that his chest might rip right through it.

Still, no matter, how uncomfortable or comedic, their borrowed clothes were, they were a million times better than the water logged clothes that now hung on a string above the fire trying to dry. The only one who had not accepted any clothes from Cale and his wife had been Cara. She had, surprisingly enough, politely refused a dress from Cale's wife and had instead only turned her boots upside-down to drain the water out of them and then placed them next to the hearth. She now stood barefoot in her full leather outfit staring out the rain-streaked window at the storm that still managed to rage outside.

The rain had not stopped at all since it had begun about six days ago. Still that did not stop what seemed to Richard must have been the entire town of Stowcroft from "visiting" Cale and his wife. It had only yesterday turned into thunderstorms with powerful rumblings that shook the small house every now and then, those not only stopped the visitors but also created an atmosphere of foreboding as they all wondered about Ben. Three days travelling in the rain had been difficult, especially not knowing what kind of condition Ben was in, but the three days since the rescue they had spent trapped inside had been worse, now that they knew Ben's condition.

He had been teetering on the edge of death. When they had met up with Cara after the battle, they had all been shocked at what horrible condition he had been in. Usually, though Mord'Sith tortured their prisoners, they didn't torture them to the point that they were physically decimated. Part of the breaking of a prisoner hinged on forcing them to do tasks for their mistress, teaching them to obey her and only her, teaching them that only through gaining her favor through obedience could they ever escape the torturous things she could do to him. Breaking someone in this way was designed to create a slave, a bondservant, someone so desperate to please their mistress that they would do as she asked usually without forethought or consideration for their safety, or that of others. It was similar to the way people under confession wanted to please a Confessor, but in the most sadistic sense.

However, the woman who had tortured Ben clearly had had no inclination to turn him into her slave. She wanted to punish him, to shatter him physically but to leave him intact mentally, for what reason Richard could only imagine. Cara had stated, with a look in her eyes that Richard knew hid more than it disclosed, that she had never seen any Mord'Sith torture someone as Ben had been tortured. Richard didn't push the issue at the time, but he knew that she knew more than she was letting on. He let it go, however, recognizing that they all had been through quite an ordeal. He would talk to Ben and see if he could shed some light on the questions that still remained unanswered, but he had determined that if Ben couldn't provide any pertinent information, then he and Cara were going to have a talk.

The children giggled as Kahlan reached a funny moment in her story, no doubt having to do with something Zedd had said or not said, or done or not done, or eaten. She smiled along with them, rubbing their backs as she fixed her dress again, catching it just before it fell from her shoulders, then she grabbed the children's attention again as the story clearly took a serious turn. Richard smiled again.

Cale's house wasn't large but it wasn't miniscule either. For a farmer Cale had done very well for himself. The common room, which served as a kitchen, living room, and dining room, was furnished mostly with pieces that Cale had made by hand himself, but in the far left corner away from the front door there was a large, well-constructed, oak armoire which Cale's wife, Ginny, used as a large spice cabinet as well as a coat rack. The dining table had also clearly been purchased, its fat claw feet giving away the fact that an artisan had made it. Richard appreciated the artistic ability needed to create such a beautiful piece, he himself had grown fond of whittling and creating things out of wood, but he tended to prefer the homemade pieces. Each piece Cale had created had clearly been a labor of love. It was obvious he had spent countless, painstaking hours making sure each curve, each angle was correct to make each piece as comfortable as possible. Craftsman's works simply just didn't have the aura of love and determination that homemade pieces did.

The room had a large oval red rug thrown on the floor which complimented the red drapes that hung by the lone, cross-braced window. There were three chairs including the one Richard was sitting in placed in a semi-circle around the hearth, with the large rocking chair that Kahlan sat in off in the corner opposite the armoire. Behind Richard was the dining and kitchen area, in which Ginny busily set about making various concoctions to try and please their guests. Ginny wasn't the best cook, but she was very hospitable and tried very hard. Richard almost felt bad, whenever he refused her latest biscuit, or muffin, so he hadn't refused very much. It felt like he had gained ten pounds in the past three days, the biscuits weighing him down. Off to his left in the back wall of the room was a small door that led to the family's bed room. It was in there that Zedd, having just returned from Aydindril the day prior, attempted to help heal Ben. When he had arrived Zedd had said that he had important news to tell them, but upon learning about Ben's condition he had decided it could wait at least until Ben was conscious. As he relaxed in the chair, Richard could hear, through the closed door, the low murmuring of Zedd casting healing spells on Ben, summoning powers most people didn't understand to help their fallen friend. He hoped it would work.

Cara reached up with her hand and held her forehead between her thumb and index finger as her brow scrunched in thought.

"And you didn't find anyone in the tower?" She asked again. She had asked Richard this same question too many times for him to count the past few days.

"No." Richard said.

"At the top, at the top of the tower." She insisted.

"No, Cara. No one was at the top of the tower. It's like I told you. We went to the top, and found the bed chambers and the torture cell completely empty except for Ben's blood."

"I know I knocked her unconscious. She wasn't that strong. She can't be that strong." She said almost to herself as she again scrunched her brow in deep thought. Perhaps, Richard was going to have to have a talk with her either way.

The children gasped as Kahlan got to a dramatic part of the story. She raised her hand as if she were grasping a sword, swung it around in a circle, and just before she brought it down theatrically she stopped, her hand raised high, and turned toward the door to her right. The murmuring had stopped. Richard looked at the door as well. Cara turned, anticipation on her face. They could here movement behind the door. Footsteps approached. The knob turned and Zedd stuck his head out.

"He's awake." He said.

Richard and Kahlan leaped out of their chairs, Kahlan being careful about placing the children on their feet before she did, and started for the room. Cara was however quicker than all of them and like a flash she was through the door into the room, her bare feet pounding on the floor the entire way.


	14. Confess Him

Confess Him

Richard smiled to himself as he followed Cara and Kahlan through the door into the gloom of the dimly lit bed chamber. Without thinking about it, as he crossed the threshold into the room, he lifted his sword ever so slightly to make sure it was clear of its scabbard then let it click back into place. It wasn't that he thought that any threat was creeping around in the shadows; it simply meant that the Seeker was ready to get some answers. Briefly, as he gripped the hilt, he felt the power of the Sword of Truth surge through the essence of who he was. His blood boiled and he could feel the adrenaline shooting through his entire body as rage and righteousness merged. The spirit of the Seeker inside of him rose to the surface; his raptor's gaze enveloped him. He was going to get to the bottom of this. He didn't know all the ins and outs of what had occurred over the past few days, but his fear was that the strange circumstances around Ben's capture and torture confirmed his fear that trouble had found them. In his mind he remembered the old proverb he had heard his father say countless times.

"Trouble always sires three children."

This ordeal had been the second child, the massacre at Ebinnisia having been the first. His mind raced as he tried to imagine what the third could possibly be. Both children, so far, had placed not only him but also Kahlan in great danger. Losing her was the one thing he was not willing to let happen. She was his everything. Even though he knew that there was no stopping her then, it had been torment when she had gone to kill the wizard Merrick by herself. His heart had ached inside his chest every moment she had been away from the camp. He had tried to busy himself with getting the soldiers ready for the ensuing battle, but still his thoughts had lingered on her until she returned safe. He needed her like the flower needs the sun. Without her his life would cease to have meaning. It was imperative for him to figure out what had happened and hope that it could help him figure out what the third child could be before trouble birthed it. It left him in a quandary. He had been very worried about Ben and didn't wish to drag up any painful memories, but if it meant he had to in order to protect Kahlan then he would.

He rushed the rest of the way into the room. The darkness hit him like a wall. He could have barely seen his hand in front of his face it was so dark. He hadn't remembered it being this dark when he had checked in intermittently the past day to see if Zedd had needed anything. Of course Zedd hadn't but, much to Richard's chagrin, he had asked for more of Ginny's muffins every time. That was Zedd for you. A friend was in mortal danger and he couldn't help but think about his stomach. Richard realized that the darkness he perceived was probably just his mind grasping the gravity of what he had to do. He wasn't happy with the situation, but answers were needed. He was the Seeker. He was going to get them.

His eyes slowly adjusted to the low light. The room was small. Off to his right was a small dresser with three large drawers, obviously hand made by Cale. Inside Richard smiled as he looked at it every notch and cut a stroke of love. Next to the dresser was a washbasin on a small stand, bloody cloths hanging from it sides, old bandages that Zedd had replaced when he had first arrived. Bloody water leaked off one and dripped to the floor leaving a small pale red puddle. On the far wall, the curtains had been pulled over the tiny window so that Zedd could concentrate better on healing Ben. The raging storm outside meant that there was very little light to let in anyway, but what little light there was had almost been completely blocked by the curtains, except for a small sliver of light that leaked through the part between them. It oozed its way across the room falling on Ben in the double bed underneath the window, giving his battered face and body an almost other worldly appearance. Every now and then a strike of lightning from outside would brighten the beam acting almost as a beacon to warn them about the subsequent explosion of thunder.

Ben smiled as he saw them and tried to prop himself up into a seated position against the pillow behind him. He grimaced as he started to get upright. It was clear every movement still hurt. His face was swollen and bruised. It was clear that his jaw had been broken at least once, if not more. His right eye was completely blood shot, a blow to his face having apparently ruptured a blood vessel in it. Blisters, cuts, and bruises covered his arms and upper chest. Worst of all though were his shoulders, which were still quite swollen and had obviously been ripped to shreds. He carried them very gingerly and attempted to avoid as much movement in them as he could. Still, he was leaps and bounds better than he had been when Richard had first seen him after the battle. As he pushed himself further up so that the brown blanket that had covered him sat around his waist, his grimace grew to a look of severe pain and a small whimper escaped his mouth. Richard cast a glance to his right at Zedd, who was at first taken aback by the residual magic of the sword still dancing in Richard's eyes. Zedd put an arm around Richard and whispered in his ear.

"His external wounds were very bad, but the internal ones were infinitely worse. I'm surprised he survived. He's got a fighting spirit that boy. Still, the horrible things those animals did to him will leave their mark. I doubt he'll be able to sit without pain for a good while." He squeezed Richard's shoulder and added. "He's still a little groggy. I gave him something to help him sleep last night. So take it easy on him, Seeker. Remember the terrible ordeal he's just been through, my boy." As Richard nodded and turned away from him to face Ben again, Zedd grabbed his shoulder again and added, "You didn't happen to bring some of those exquisite muffins with you, did you my boy?"

Richard shook his head in incredulity as Ben pushed through the pain and got himself to a seated position. His smile returned as he looked to Richard's left at Cara.

"My hero." He said.

They all chuckled as lightning flashed and the house shook a few moments later from the resultant thunder. Kahlan gave Cara a knowing look that made the smile evaporate from Cara's face. Cara crossed her arms and huffed. Whatever that look had meant it certainly had put Cara in a foul mood.

"How do you feel?" Kahlan asked with a smile.

"Like a dragon's bowel movement."

Everyone but Cara smiled.

"Well, if you feel up to it I'd like to ask you some questions to try and shed some light on what happened." Richard said as he took a step forward to come to the side of the bed. On the floor next to the bed was a small square rug that dampened his footstep as he strode over next to Ben. Ben smiled as he struggled to stop himself from sliding down the pillow.

"You don't ever stop do you?" He asked.

"Never." Kahlan chimed in.

Ben looked down at his knees as he let out a small chuckle. Suddenly his smile turned into a look of pain as he grabbed his side. Richard looked back over his shoulder at Zedd again.

"He has four broken ribs. I've mended them but they will still hurt for some time. Injuries like that take a while to heal." Zedd said.

"You know I can hear you, right?" Ben said as he looked through his brow at Zedd, still clutching his side. "You don't have to talk about me like I'm not in the room. I'm right here." He said as he coughed from the pain.

"Sorry, my boy." Zedd said through a small smile. More lightning flashed followed by thunder, closer together this time though.

"So do you think you feel up to it?" Richard asked again.

"Sure, why not." Ben said with a wave of his hand. "Though I'm not sure how much help I'll be, Seeker, I'm still rather fuzzy on a lot of it."

Out of the corner of his eye Richard caught Kahlan eyes widen ever so slightly. Something about Ben's answer had caught her attention.

"Well, just do the best you can." He said as he made a mental note of Kahlan's reaction. "We'll start off easy. Did you catch the name of the Mord'Sith who had you captured?"

"Unfortunately no."

Kahlan flinched. Richard noticed. Lightning flashed again with the accompanying thunder even closer this time. The heart of the storm was getting closer.

"No? You spent nearly a month with her. No doubt she used you as her personal plaything and in all that time she never used her name and no one else ever called her by name?" Richard pressed.

"No, not that I recall."

Kahlan cast a sideways glance to Richard.

"I find that a little hard to believe, Ben."

"Well, sorry, Seeker, but I was little distracted. Do you have any idea what it's like to be the slave of a Mord'Sith? Every moment of every beating wishing it was over and then every moment between beatings obsessing over when the next one will be and wondering how it could possibly be any worse than the last."

"I do actually." Richard said. "I know exactly what you're talking about. I nearly lost myself when Denna captured me. I couldn't think straight for most of that period of time. In fact as I look back on it, I don't think I could relate much about the specifics of what actually happened then, but I will say one thing. I knew the name of the woman who was torturing me!"

Ben bit his lower lip and looked away. The rain outside began to pick up making a plinking sound against the tiny window above Ben's head.

"Richard, stop it." Cara said, a look of concern on her face. He only gave her a glance. Lightning again, this time the thunder only a few seconds in following.

"Ben, who tortured you? I'm not asking this to be mean, or cause you any pain. I need to know what we're dealing with here. Trouble has already birthed two of its children. I want to be prepared for any possibility of what the third may be, not only to protect you but everyone. If we're going to be friends then that means we can't have any secrets among us, especially ones that could put the rest of us in danger. Now who tortured you?"

Ben let out a sigh and looked at Richard. "I'm sorry, Seeker I really don't know."

Richard looked Kahlan who had lost any trace of her smile and was looking dejected. She knew the question that his look contained. Slowly, with pain etched on her face, she shook her head no. Cara looked between the two of them, her look of concern growing.

"Richard, stop!" She insisted. Lightning struck followed immediately by a loud boom. The thunder's intensity was growing, the storm was nearly on top of them.

Richard turned back to Ben.

"Ben I know you're lying. I don't even need the help of a Confessor to see the look of deception in your eyes, but her powers confirm it. I don't know why you're doing this, but I will have answers. You will not put our lives in danger just to protect whatever information it is you're holding onto."

"What do want from me?" Ben said with look of disgust on his face.

"The truth, that's all." Richard said.

"You don't know what you're asking of me." Ben said as disgust turned to pain.

"Richard! Stop!" Cara pleaded.

"I'm only asking for you to do the right thing." Richard said as he lifted his sword again and let it click back into place, the magic surging through him all over again.

"Is that what this is, an intervention to get Ben to do the right thing?" Ben said as tears began to fall down his face. The rain was now pounding against the window as the wind drove it into the tiny pane.

Zedd reached up and grabbed Richard by the shoulder. "Richard –," he began, but Richard tugged his shoulder away and bent down with his hands on the bed. Lightning struck and illuminated his face. Ben saw, through his tears, the magic in Richard's eyes. Thunder followed the lightning almost immediately, shaking the whole house.

"Don't make this about you. You know I wouldn't ask this if it weren't a matter of life and death for others. You hold the lives of countless others in your hands right now and you're willing to crush them under the weight of your secrecy. Anyone who plays with the lives of others so flippantly doesn't deserve any privacy in my book. You've left me no choice. I don't want to do this, but if you are insistent on protecting whatever information it is you have over the lives of innocent people then I'm afraid I have to." He turned, with fire in his eyes, and said to Kahlan, "Confess him."

"What?" Cara and Zedd said in unison.

Kahlan, her head down, slowly walk to the opposite side of the bed he was on. With pain in her eyes, as Ben's gaze darted back and forth between the two of them, she reached out and seized Ben by the neck. Cara grabbed Kahlan's other arm and tugged at the oversized dress she was wearing.

"Richard stop this right now! Please!" She screamed.

"Ben this is your last chance. I don't want to do this but you are leaving me no choice."

Kahlan grasped his neck a little tighter. Richard could see the skin underneath her fingers turn white from the pressure. With an intense look on her face she sighed.

With pain in his tear stained eyes Ben looked at Richard and simply said, "Please!"

"I'm sorry, Ben. I wish I had another option, but you've left me none. Now, why are you protecting this woman that tortured you? What are you hiding?"

"Please! You can't… You don't know…" Ben said.

"Richard! Stop it!" Cara yelled. She was in a panic. Kahlan was now actually having to restrain her with her other arm as she held on even tighter to Ben's neck, almost to the point of choking him. A violent crack resounded through the air and a bright flash of light nearly blinded all of them as thunder and lightning exploded in the same instant, shaking the house to its very foundation. The heart of the storm hovered over them.

"Ben, last chance, you're going to tell us who she is one way or another. Now, who is she?" He screamed.

"She's my sister alright!" Ben screamed as he pushed Kahlan's hand off his neck. Cara collapsed to the floor, her one leg under her the other splayed out on the floor. Lightning struck again followed a few seconds afterwards by an impressive but not overwhelming boom. The storm had moved on.

Richard and Kahlan's eyes went wide.

"What do you mean she's your sister? You said you killed your sisters." Kahlan said.

"I know." Ben said through more tears. It was obvious his sobbing was causing his ribs to hurt even more. "She revived her. She gave her the breath of life."

"Who?" Richard asked.

"Aimee. She gave Seh'ra the breath of life and revived her with her final breath. Oh, Richard I'm sorry. I just… I just…, "Ben struggled out as tears overwhelmed him.

Richard sat down next to him and gingerly, avoiding any wounds, wrapped his arms around Ben's shoulders.

"It's okay Ben. I'm sorry I had to be so abrupt, but I needed to know. She still may come back and try to exact her revenge."

Ben's head shot up like dragon's breath had been ignited underneath it.

"What do you mean? She's dead isn't she? Cara knocked her out. I saw it. You found her and killed her, right?"

Richard shook his head. Ben's face became worry incarnate. His eyes began to dart back and forth and he began to hyperventilate which only made his ribs hurt more. His face became a dark shade of red as panic set in. Quickly, Zedd rushed in and placed two fingers to either side of his head. In a second Ben's breathing slowed and his face became a normal shade again. Kahlan lovingly stroked his hand.

"Don't worry, Ben. Now that we are all on the same page we can fight this together." She said as Zedd removed his fingers.

"There is safety in numbers, my boy." He said.

"We'll figure this out Ben. We're with you." Richard said.

"A family?" Ben said with a slight smile, his eyes veiling the deeper meaning behind those words. Lightning once again flashed distantly.

"A family." Richard said returning the smile. Thunder boomed off somewhere.

"Thank you." Ben said.

"Alright, you need to get some more rest." Richard said.

Ben nodded in agreement, but then added, "First though, can I talk with Cara alone."

Richard cast an awkward look between Ben and Cara, who was picking herself up off the floor, but then patted him lightly on the shoulder and nodded.

"Wait a minute, my boy. First I need to change out those bandages and…" Zedd began as Richard grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him out of the room.

"Bags Richard! Let go of me. I'm an old man. You can't just throw me around like this. I'm your grandfather for crying out loud, unhand me!"

Richard smiled as he dragged the old man the rest of the way out of the room. Before he did he saw Kahlan give Cara another knowing smile and a few quick raises of her eyebrows before she turned to join them. Cara huffed once more.


	15. Deal

Deal

The latch inside the door clanked back into place as Kahlan closed it behind her. Ben could tell that the violent storm that had been raging outside had finally moved on. Rain no longer made its distinctive muffled tapping sound against the window above his head, and the beam of light shooting through the part between the curtains covering the window was beginning to grow brighter as the clouds outside began to dissipate freeing the sun from its imprisonment to dry the land once again. It penetrated the darkness of the room, illuminating a small sliver of air. With only one of his eyes functioning in any measurable capacity it was very hard to see anything outside of that shard of radiance. He could barely see Cara standing next to the bed off to his right, the beam illuminating her shapely hips, with each link of the gold chains on the handles of her agiels sending out sunbursts of luminosity into the gloom.

His mind was still reeling. He had just woken up after, according to Zedd, three days of stupor and almost a month of torture, only to be interrogated by the Seeker of Truth, and then to find out that his sister, who he had just discovered wasn't dead already, hadn't been killed in the battle to free him from her clutches either, meaning that she was still out there, no doubt coming up with a new plot to exact her sadistic revenge upon him. It made him feel a little better to know that now Richard and the others were with him in that struggle, but only a little.

Then on top of all of that, his body was in horrible shape. As he had done countless times after a battle, when he had woken up, he had done a body check to see what, if anything, was in working order. Much to his distress, he had discovered, as he worked his way up his body from his toes, that just about everything was not. Worst of all were his shoulders which ached even without movement, but with any kind of movement produced so much pain that he had almost been sick to his stomach. He was in bad shape and he knew it and that added an even heftier toll to his mental anguish as he struggled to concentrate on not moving anything that would cause pain or worse, do more damage.

Still there was one thing, besides the pain, that had constantly been on his mind, and that was Cara. After she had rescued him and he had finally given into the mental and physical exhaustion that he had fought so hard to resist, he had sunk into a vast ocean of darkness. It was strange. In his unconscious state, he wasn't aware of himself at all and yet in some strange way he was. Floating there for what felt like eons in that inky sea, he had come very close several times to finally sinking down further, completely into the darkness, losing himself forever. But, every time he felt like giving up, every time the shadows below him reached up to grab him and drag him down with them, he had one thought, that made him push on, that made him want to live… Cara. She had saved his life in more ways than she knew.

Even so, he didn't quite understand what to do with his feelings. He didn't know whether to trust them or not. In the last few minutes that he had been awake he had told himself several times that the only reason why he couldn't stop thinking about her was that he was still drunk from the excruciating pain, but every time he did he just didn't believe himself. He didn't know what he was going to say to her, but he knew he needed to say something, even if it were just a simple "thank you for coming to my rescue." But he knew deep down that there was so much more that he needed to say.

He needed to see her however. In desperation, he pushed himself up, trying with all his might to do the pushing with his legs and not with his devastated arms, in the hopes that if he got higher he would be able to see her better. It only made it worse. As he pushed himself up, his head interrupted the beam of light and cast the room into complete darkness. In frustration he quickly turned and reached up to grab the curtains, but as he did lightning bolts of pain shot through his entire midsection and his shoulder. He winced from the pain grabbing his side with his non-reaching hand which only sent more pain through that shoulder. He grunted as he reflexively shrunk back from the pain, trying to return his torso and arms to their original positions. As he did, he heard in the back of his mind, which was flooded with messages of pain, her leather creak as she leaned a hand and a knee on the bed and reached over him to open the curtains.

"Let me get them." She said sweetly as she pushed the curtains wide, letting in a cascade of light that gently caressed her face, her blond hair gracefully framing it, and then illuminated the rest of her.

She was wearing her red leather outfit, tight everywhere on her except at the neck where the line plunged down to the bottom of her chest. As he winced in pain, Ben saw through his good eye the divide between her supple breasts, which were cradled by the leather. Their cheeks nearly met as she retreated from the window. Despite the pain he found himself wishing that their cheeks had touched if only for a split second. As her face past his she paused for a split second. Their lips were mere inches apart as he stared into her green eyes, the new set of green eyes that haunted his dreams. He could feel her hot breath on the tip of his nose. He ached inside. Longingly he smiled up at her. Cara's face twisted into a look of confusion as she suddenly realized what she was doing. She retreated further back to her standing position next to the bed and crossed her arms again.

"I'm… glad you're feeling better." She said awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with him as she cast a look toward the door.

"Yeah, well what can I say? I'm resilient. I think maybe you toughened me up with all those arguments we had before the whole thing happened. The worst things that they tried to do to me were nothing compared to your scathing comebacks." He said trying to lighten the mood. It had the desired effect; Cara smiled and giggled ever so slightly. She looked him in the eyes. Slowly her crossed arms began to loosen until they finally dropped to her sides. For what felt like years they stared deeply into each other's eyes until Cara finally snapped out of it again and rolled her eyes as the smile faded from her lips.

"Why did you want to talk to me?" She asked curtly, placing her hands on her hips.

"I just wanted to thank you." He said.

"No need." She replied.

"No there really is. I don't know what would have become of me if it weren't for you."

Cara licked her front teeth under her lips and smirked.

"You would have been killed most likely. That Mord'Sith that had you certainly didn't seem to have any interest in breaking you. She was no doubt going to kill you in the most savage way she could imagine. Not that I could blame her."

Ben chuckled, his ribs screamed in protest.

"Of course, now I'm thinking I might have been better back there with Seh'ra. At least when she finally decided to kill me she most likely would have done it swiftly, rather than your torturous method of nagging me to death." He said.

Cara smiled out of the side of her mouth.

"If you want I can end your misery right now." She said as she raised her agiels a little out of their holsters before letting them fall back into place. "There really is no need for you to thank me. I helped in the rescue because you could prove a great help in protecting Richard if the Imperial Order or the Blood of the Fold ever turn out to be coherent threats. Now if we're done with this unneeded gallantry I believe Zedd said there is something urgent he needed to tell us." She said as she started for the door.

"No, I'm not buying that." Ben said, looking at her through his eyebrows.

Slowly she turned back around, her eyes wide in a look of annoyance.

"You aren't buying what?" She asked.

"Cara, I didn't just want to thank you for rescuing me. I wanted to tell you that I… I have…" He exhaled in exasperation. "I think I've fallen in love with you, Cara. I can't stop thinking about you. The only reason I'm still alive is because every time my body wanted to give up, your face flashed in front of me and willed me to go on. You are my life now. I don't think I can imagine it without you. Every waking moment I spend is filled with thoughts of you and you're beauty haunts my dreams. I don't understand why I feel this way, but I can no longer lie to myself or to you. I must express my most ardent and heartfelt admiration for you. I love you, Cara, and I think at least in some way you have similar feelings for me and _**that's**_ why you risked your life to rescue me." Ben said banging the bed with his hand to emphasize his point. It hurt.

"You're mistaken." Cara said as she laughed to herself.

"Am I? Then how do you explain all the gentle caressing of my face? How do you explain all the longing-filled looks? How do you explain the fact that you rode your horses to death on your way to my rescue?" In response to the look she gave him he said, "Oh yeah, Zedd told me about that. How do you explain the way that you risked your life in attempting to rescue me by yourself? Cara I know you feel the way I do. I can see it in your eyes when you look at me. I can feel it in your touch. I can sense your soul longing just to be held by me, just as mine longs to hold you."

Cara rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Like I said, you're mistaken. As far as the caressing goes… believe me if I could slap you right now I would, if not for being such an arrogant prick, presuming that you can tell me how I feel, then for making Richard, Kahlan, and I travel so far out of our way and risk our lives for an idiot like you. Unfortunately, if I did I would probably do more damage to your hideous face and would have to deal with Richard and Zedd badgering me about it for days on end. Trust me, I've weighed my options when it comes to it and you're just not worth it. I have no idea what looks you are talking about. If ever my gaze lingers on you for any period of time it's because I'm concentrating on fighting back the urge to vomit. As far as the horses go… they were old and weak. I doubt they would have lasted a day longer even if we hadn't been pushing them to get this whole ordeal over with. And the only reason I _**had**_ to rescue you're sorry hide alone was because the others could not have made it through the resonating spell that barred the door to the secret passage I used to get to the top of the tower. Finally, let me assure you that whatever it is that you think you see in my eyes or feel in my touch is solely a product of your imagination, and if I hear from you again about how you can't stop thinking about me, I will personally finish the job that Seh'ra didn't. Let me make this perfectly clear. I don't love you and nothing you or anyone else says will change that. I am not in love with you Benjamin Meiffert and I never will be."

She said as she huffed and started for the door. As she grabbed the nob and started to turn it Ben screamed at her back,

"Is that right? You know you are, by far, the most infuriating woman I have ever met. You are so stubborn it makes me wonder how your mother ever forced you out of the womb. I'm glad to hear that I was 'mistaken'. Takes a big load off of my mind. To think I was actually contemplating spending the rest of my life with someone as mulish as you. Let's make a deal, okay? You don't bother me and I won't bother you. Stay away from me Mistress Cara, because I've had about as much of this as I can take. You go your way and I'll go mine. Deal?"

"Fine by me!" Cara screamed back at him as she jerked the door open and stormed through the front room, past the confused looks of the others, through the front door and out into the newly awakened sunlight, slamming the door behind her.

Ben grunted in frustration as he shook his head in incredulity. He hated her. He hated everything about her. Except, deep down inside of him he knew that he didn't. He already regretted having said every word and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was still going to be on his mind… always.


	16. The True Lord Rahl

The True Lord Rahl

Richard laughed as he squeezed Kahlan's hand. She looked up at him, the most beautiful smile he had ever seen, beaming on her face as she laughed along with him. Lightly she squeezed his hand back.

"The poor boy went completely ashen. You would have thought he had seen the Keeper himself!" Zedd roared as he pounded his leg with an open hand and cackled.

Ben, who had managed, with a little help from Richard and Zedd, to make his way out of bed and into one of the large chairs encircling the fire place, gave only a smile, trying to hold back his laughter to save his ribs the torment.

"To think, the maiden he had intended to bed turned out to be 'The Wind of Death'! It was hard for me not to laugh my head off when I saw that he had wet his pants, the poor boy." Zedd continued as he took a drink from the pint of ale Ginny had given him. He was wasting time recounting a tale from the first war between D'hara and the Midlands of how he had infiltrated the enemy camp and obtained sensitive information pertaining to their battle plans the following day by disguising himself as a young maiden and seducing a D'haran captain. Richard had heard the story hundreds of times. It was funny every time Zedd told it, mostly because the facts changed just about every time. But still, despite the joviality Zedd was trying to bring to the situation, Richard was itching to hear the "important news" Zedd had to tell them.

Twice now he had been delayed in relaying the information. First it had been due to Ben's illness. When Zedd had learned about the terrible shape Ben was in he had set to healing him right away. Now he was delayed in telling them his news because of Cara's absence. Nearly three hours ago she had stormed out and had still not returned. Mord'Sith were rarely in good moods, but Richard had never seen Cara in the state she had been in when she had left. She was angry, he could tell that, but yet there was still something deeper below the surface that he just couldn't place.

At first Kahlan had thought to go after Cara to talk to her, but Richard had indicated to her with a simple gesture of his hand to let her go. If he had learned anything in his time with Cara it was that talking to her when she was in that type of mood would only serve to put her in a worse mood and most likely she would succeed in insulting you. She had needed space, he knew that, but right now he was regretting his decision to give it to her. His desire to learn what Zedd had to tell them was burning inside like a wild fire. Luckily Kahlan was there. She was the only thing that could calm his Seeker instincts, that could quench the burning fire within him.

Ben had been in just as bad a mood as Cara and had refused to talk about anything that had happened in the bedroom between them. Richard could tell by the pain evident in his eyes that whatever had happened had hurt him deeply. He was surprised when Ben had asked him and Zedd to help him out into the living room. He had figured Ben, like Cara, would most likely want to be alone. It was scary sometimes how similar those two were. But with not too much difficulty they had done it and Ben now sat not so comfortably in one of Cale's large hand-made chairs. The pain from whatever happened with Cara still swam in his eyes, but it was the physical pain that Richard was more worried about. He could see now that Ben's smile was actually a front. Ben was still in excruciating pain but was masking it with a smile. Richard could actually see him grinding his teeth together in defiance of the agony.

"So what did you do to him? Did you kill him?" Ben asked through gritted teeth.

"A very good question, my boy." Zedd said setting his cup down on the floor next to his chair. "You see, I just couldn't bring myself to kill the poor boy in the ridiculous state he was in, but I couldn't have him run off and warn his comrades either, so I took him outside the camp and I-"

Suddenly the whole house shook as the violent bang of the front door flying open and slamming into the front wall reverberated through the air. Kahlan released Richard's hand and, without missing a beat, unsheathed her daggers and brought them up to a defensive position, whirling around to face the wide open door. Richard quickly got to his feet and removed his sword from its scabbard, its distinctive ring announcing its presence. Zedd stood and raised his hands, ready to unfurl wizard's fire or a blast of air, whatever necessary to repel this threat. Even Cale and Ginny, who had been listening at the dining table, armed themselves, Cale with a kitchen knife and Ginny with a loaf of bread. Ben, despite his discomfort, stood and grabbed a candlestick from the table close to him.

In the door a woman stood, her identity concealed by the late afternoon sun streaming through the door silhouetting her graceful curves. With her feet spread wide, her arms dangling at her sides, and her shoulders slumped ever so slightly indicating she meant business, she held in each hand an agiel.

"Who are you?" Richard screamed. "Show yourself!"

She didn't move. Slowly she turned her head from one side to the other, taking in the room and the warriors before her armed with daggers, swords, magic, candlesticks and bread.

"Show yourself now!" Richard screamed even louder. "We don't want to have to kill you!"

Slowly she raised her right agiel-laden hand. She was going to attack. Richard took a step forward to block Kahlan from receiving the imminent attack. He raised his sword. Kahlan took a step to her left and prepared to counter as well. Zedd drew his hands back readying a sharp powerful blast of air, and Ben laboriously took a few steps forward to back Richard and Kahlan.

The woman reached up and…

With a snort of derision Cara slammed the door closed, strode past them all, giving Richard a wide-eyed annoyed look on her way by, and sat in the rocking chair in the corner of the room.

With a roll of their eyes, they all relaxed returning their weapons to their original positions and took their seats again. Richard noticed though that Cara did not return her agiels to their holsters she sat there with a glum look, staring at the wall to her left with her agiels firmly gripped in each hand.

Ben's smile faded. Gingerly he lowered himself back into his chair, his lips puckering ever so slightly in anger or frustration, Richard couldn't tell, as he cast his gaze to the floor to his right, away from Cara.

"Well, now that we've had the wits scared out of us," Zedd said casting a cold look at Cara, "and now that all of us are here, I guess it's time that I tell you all the news from Aydindril."

"Has the council begun taking defensive measures?" Kahlan asked as she scooted to the edge of her seat and grabbed Richard's hand again.

"Well, not exactly." Zedd said with a frown.

"What do you mean?" Kahlan asked

"Well it seems that the council is no longer in charge of Aydindril." He said raising his eyebrows and taking another drink from his cup.

"Then who is?"

"D'harans."

"D'harans?" The rest of them said in unison.

Zedd shook his head.

"A group of about a thousand or so along with three Mord'Sith, led by a man by the name of Edwards."

"Edwards!" Both Cara and Ben said in unison having taken their eyes from the wall and floor respectively, focusing them on Zedd.

"You know him?" Richard asked.

"He's a bastard." Ben said.

"A low-life." Cara added.

"A half-breed prick." Ben spat.

"Yeah, you know the type that Ben likes to hang around with." Cara chided.

Ben only rolled his eyes and licked his teeth.

"Demmin Nass was Rahl's right hand man, right? Well, Edwards was Nass's." Ben continued, ignoring the insult.

"So he's a bad guy, I take it." Richard said.

"No, not just bad. Let me put it to you this way. Demmin Nass was a homicidal, genocidal, infanticidal, child molester, and rapist. In general a maniac, right? Well, Edwards is so deranged, so void of any compassion or sanity, for that matter, that he not only wanted and got the attention of that lunatic, but so impressed him that he made him his right hand man. The fact that Edwards has taken control of Aydindril isn't just not good; it is so far beyond not good I don't think I can express it."

"We're in deep shit, is what he's trying to say. The thing I don't understand is why any Mord'Sith would join forces with him." Cara added.

"I think I can answer that for you Cara." Zedd said. "It seems he has rallied quite a number of D'harans to his cause. The thousand men he now has in his command were not all originally from his battalion. He has managed to garner the support of three other D'haran generals and their forces. It would seem that he is making a claim to the D'haran throne and these Mord'Sith are supporting him in it."

"He isn't a Rahl though. Even the dumbest Mord'Sith should be able to figure out that their agiels are still working and thus there must be another Rahl out there with a legitimate claim to the throne." She replied.

"I know what you mean. I mean you figured it out. How hard can it be?" Ben said with not even the slightest bit of sarcasm.

Cara scowled at the back of his head, tightening her grip on her agiels.

Kahlan released Richard's hand and stood, her arms resolutely placed at her sides, her head held high and her confessor's face on display.

"We must retake the city." She said adamantly.

Zedd stood to match her.

"Kahlan, I understand your concern, but that is much more easily said than done. I didn't even dare to approach the city walls without disguising myself first. You, probably more than anyone here, know how well organized and trained D'harans are when it comes to militaristic endeavors. They have taken one of the most strategically designed cities in the known world and with more than a thousand men. Well more than is needed to adequately defend that city. Not to mention the fact that we have no army of our own."

"Zedd, I understand, but my people's lives are at stake here. My sister's life is at stake here. I left her in charge of the city and the fact that the D'harans have overtaken it not only speaks to the power that these men wield but also to the dire circumstances that the people of the city now find themselves in. I can only hope that Dennee is still alive, but I will not sit back as my people's lives are placed in harm's way. We will retake the city. Make your choice. You are either with us or you are against us. I love you like my own father, but if you will not help me in saving the lives of my people then you are my enemy. What is your decision?" She said pounding her fist into the palm of her other hand.

"I am with you, dearie. Believe me nothing would give me greater pleasure than to teach these D'haran bastards a lesson, save the lives of the people of Aydindril, and to see you reunited with your sister. I simply don't want us to rush in head first only to have it chopped off the second we breach the city gates. We must be smart about this. This man Edwards is no one to be taken lightly. We must be careful or we will not only lose our lives, but we will also cost the citizens of Aydindril theirs as well." Zedd said as he grabbed Kahlan by the shoulders and stared into her eyes.

"We're in deep shit, is what he's trying to say." Cara chimed in.

"Although, I don't think I could have put that eloquently, Cara… yes, we are. I'm afraid after snooping around the city I really don't know how we are going to pull this off. I couldn't see any way to get to Edwards without being spotted or confronted by guards first." Zedd said.

"Is he holed up at the Confessor's Palace?" Kahlan asked.

"No I'm afraid not. He was too smart for that. He knew that the palace would have a labyrinth of secret passages, most of which he could not even hope to find let alone guard, so he has taken up residence in an inn just down the street. Not quite as secure externally but at least he knows no one will be dropping in on him unannounced."

Kahlan ran her hands through her hair in thought, desperately searching for the answer. Richard had heard enough, however. He had been thinking about how to solve this problem ever since the conversation had started. The wheels had been turning in his head. From the get go he had known that this was the only viable solution to the problem, but still, he had gone over at least two dozen different scenarios in his head in an attempt to try and avoid this one. However, every time he did it lead him right back to his initial conclusion. This was the only way that they could retake Aydindril without it costing them their lives and the lives of the people of the city. He just hoped it would work.

"I know how to solve the problem." Richard said raising his head to look at the others.

"You do? Splendid. I knew I chose my Seeker well. Let's hear it, my boy." Zedd said raising his hands toward Richard.

"I think we should pay a visit to this Edwards character." He said.

"Ha! Good thinking, my boy. Maybe we should bring a few whores for him too. Eh! Let it never be said that the Seeker is short on humor." Zedd replied.

"I'm not joking."

"What do you mean you're not joking, Richard? You heard Zedd; there is no way to get to him without being spotted by the guards, who will most likely kill us." Kahlan said with exasperation evident in her voice.

"Oh, I don't think they'll kill us." Richard said.

"And why is that?" Kahlan asked.

"I don't think it would go over very well with the D'haran people if Edwards had the true Lord Rahl killed, do you?" He said as he rose from his chair.

"Richard, you mean to take the D'haran throne?" Zedd asked in bewilderment.

"I don't see any other choice. You said yourself there is no way past their defenses, so we won't try to go past them. We will use them to our advantage. Edwards may be a diabolical human being, but he will listen to the true Lord Rahl."

"Bad idea!" Cara screamed as she too stood to join the other three.

"Cara, please there is no other way." Richard pleaded.

"I don't care, Richard. It won't work. First off, in every D'haran's eyes you are still the Seeker, the one who killed the last Lord Rahl. So, even if they were inclined to listen to you in the first place they wouldn't due to the fact that they see you as the enemy. They will never believe you are the true Lord Rahl."

"Well, you don't seem to have a problem with it." Richard responded.

"Which brings me to my next point," Cara continued, "Even if they were able to entertain the idea that you are the true Lord Rahl and were able to somehow forget that you are the Seeker, they still wouldn't blindly follow you. In D'hara we have a saying when it comes to the Lord Rahl. He is the magic against magic and we are the steel against steel. So, unless you prove somehow, in front of their eyes, that you are the magic against magic, they will never follow you."

"How would I do that?"

"You'll have to do something miraculous."

"Like what?"

"I don't know bring someone back from the dead, call down lightning on your enemies… something unexplainable that would cause them to fear and respect you."

"But what about the bond? Aren't all D'harans linked to the Lord Rahl?" Kahlan asked.

"Yes but it doesn't work like you are implying. They will be able to feel the connection with Richard but unless Richard proves himself, in front of them, to be the true Lord Rahl, the bond will mean nothing."

"As much as I hate to do this, I have to agree with Cara." Ben said as he, with great effort, stood as well. "And I'm afraid it gets even more complicated than that. Most of the time, when it comes to D'harans, if the leader of a battalion pledges his loyalty to the Lord Rahl his men will follow suit. But, like I said before, Edwards is a half-breed. He isn't a pure blood D'haran. So, the bond will be even weaker to him, if he even feels it at all. You will be hard pressed to get him to pledge anything but hatred toward you Richard. I have to agree with Cara, this won't work."

"Well, if any of you have a better idea I'd like to hear it." Richard said casting a look to each of them.

No one spoke up.

"Very well, we will cross all of the bridges that you all brought up when we get to them, but for now, we need to get some rest and tomorrow we will be on our way to Aydindril. Ben you can catch up with us in a few days."

"The hell I can. I'm coming with you." Ben said.

"Ben, no. You are still in pretty bad shape and -, " Richard began but just as he did, Ben knelt down and placed his forehead on the floor. Softly, yet still resolutely, he began to chant.

"_Master Rahl guide us! _

_Master Rahl teach us!_

_Master Rahl protect us!_

_In your light we thrive!"_

Quickly, Cara knelt down too, her agiels clattering to the floor as she dropped them, and joined the chanting.

"_In your mercy we are sheltered!_

_In your wisdom we are humbled!_

_We live only to serve you!_

_Our lives are yours!"_

Three times they repeated those words then, slowly, Ben and Cara got back to their feet and with a smile Ben said.

"I never thought I would swear loyalty to another Lord Rahl, but if I have to I'm glad it's you."

"Good, now that you have sworn your loyalty to me, obey me and stay here and get better." Richard said returning the smile.

"Ha! Yeah, right! And leave the loudest lumberjack in the world here to protect you." He said jamming a thumb at Cara. "No way. I'm coming."


	17. You Can't Tell Kahlan

"You Can't Tell Kahlan."

(Here you are. I think this is the chap. most of you have been waiting for. Enjoy.)

The wind blew through his hair, but Richard didn't feel it. With it, it carried the soft bitter smell of the oak forest they were riding through, but Richard didn't smell it. On its wings the gentle call of a wood finch looking for a mate floated, but Richard didn't hear it. Out of a thicket to their right two tiny ground squirrels scurried out across the path away from unseen danger to safety, but Richard didn't see them. He was in his own world. His vision was a tunnel, a long dark corridor at the end of which shone a bright light. This was his Seeker instincts taking hold. This was his raptor's gaze in its full glory. He could see his goal and the path needed to reach it. Nothing outside of that path could distract him now. He was solely focused. Resolute. Steadfast. Unwavering. He knew where he was going and he knew how to get there.

For a long while now, Richard had known that there could be no escaping his heritage. He was Panis Rahl's son, there was no escaping that. Whether he chose to be or not didn't make him any less a Rahl. For so long he had hated that thought. He had shut it out of his mind, locked away somewhere never to be disturbed. For centuries, millennia even, the Rahl name had been synonymous with cruelty and death. Rahls had ruled D'hara with an iron fist and without mercy for as long as D'hara existed. He hadn't known that of course, secluded away in Westland for so many years, but ever since that fateful day, when he first laid eyes on Kahlan, he had been fighting to rid the world of Rahl cruelty. He had fought with so many men. Watched as they fought with him and even laid their lives down beside him all in search of that goal, of ridding the world of the despotism imposed by the Rahls.

Then he found out he was one of them, one of the very monsters he had sworn to destroy. He had been frightened, frightened of himself. Was he destined to murder and consume the way his predecessors had? Did he have a choice? Was depravity imprinted on his genes, the genes he shared with Darken Rahl? For nearly a year now he had been fighting a war within himself. However, now the war was finally over. When he had seen the pain in Kahlan's eyes, when she had demanded Zedd chose whether to help her reclaim the city of Aydindril or not, the final battle had been fought. Of course Kahlan had tried to hide that pain behind her Confessor's face, but Richard could see right through her. He knew her completely, inside and out. He didn't need magical powers to see when the woman he loved was in pain.

And that had decided it. In that moment he realized how selfish he had been. He held in his hands the power to not only unite the Midlands and D'hara and end this terrible ongoing war, but also to do much greater things. He had been a young, naïve, boorish buffoon. How could he have been so self-centered and petty? Lives other than his own depended on him now accepting his birthright.

He wasn't like his ancestors. He had to believe that. He only wanted to do what was right. Still history had taught him that every villain had had altruistic ambitions at first. No one ever sought to be the profligate. They had all started out with simple enough aspirations but those aspirations eventually turned to zealotry, which led to blindness, and eventually led to them turning into the monsters they never thought they'd be. He didn't know whether he would end up like that. But even if it meant that he would one day turn into the creature that he feared, if acknowledging who he truly was meant easing Kahlan's pain and saving the lives of countless others he would do it over and over again.

So now he found himself in his tunnel, his raptor's gaze. He knew where he was going and what he had to do to get there and nothing could distract him. Still the world was full of distractions. Even now in the back of his mind he could hear an annoying buzzing noise. He couldn't tell what it was, but it had been there for a good long while now. It was irritating but not irritating enough to attract his attention. Still he wished it would stop.

"Could you please ask them to shut up?" Kahlan said leaning off the side of her horse and placing her forehead on his right shoulder in exasperation. It broke his gaze. The tunnel dimmed to a dull gray and he could now see his surroundings, but the light still shone at the end. "Their incessant arguing is driving me nuts. Why do you think Zedd decided to ride ahead?" She continued as she pushed off his shoulder with her right hand and sat back in her saddle on her horse next to him.

The tunnel dimmed a bit further, almost opaque now, as Richard only began to comprehend what Kahlan was saying. The buzzing however didn't fade with the tunnel. It only grew louder. Intermittently behind its relentless droning he was beginning to be able to pick out words. Was the Creator trying to tell him something? Were the Seekers of the past reaching out to him to try and warn him of some eminent danger? Perhaps it was the Rahl in him. Maybe that was why almost every Rahl throughout history had turned mad. Perhaps the voices had gotten to them as well.

As the tunnel faded even further the words became clearer. It most definitely was not some ancestral spirit reaching out to him, nor did he think it was unseen diabolical voices grasping for the core of his sanity. It sounded like two people arguing, a man and a woman. Suddenly he grasped the meaning of Kahlan's words as he finally came completely out of his tunnel, the light still shining off in the distance however, and realized that it was Ben and Cara he was hearing. They had been arguing non-stop since they had left Cale's house nearly a week ago. It had driven Zedd so batty that he eventually had decided to ride ahead and scout out the city for them. It would have been wearing on him as well if he hadn't been able to drown it out in his tunnel. He felt for Kahlan who couldn't.

"No way! There is no way!" Ben was saying behind Richard. It was lucky he had come along with them. Every night, before he had left in frustration, Zedd had taken to helping heal him and he had made tremendous strides. He could now ride a horse for a day without needing to take a break from the pain of the jostling. He was almost back to how he had been before that terrible ordeal with his sister.

"Go ahead. You can be wrong if you want to be. It wouldn't be the first time." Cara replied shaking her head as she rolled her eyes and licked her two front teeth.

"Okay, I'll give you the fact that you were right about the persimmon." Ben said.

Oh goodness the persimmon Richard thought. That had been a two day argument between the two of them. Ben had insisted that the way to cut a persimmon when preparing a fruit salad was across the middle of it, while Cara held the position that it was to be cut down the length. The disagreement had gone on so long and infuriated Zedd so much that he had actually ridden into a town they passed and gotten a chef from a local eatery there to settle the issue. It turns out Cara was correct, you do cut it down the length of the fruit, but while that had settled that case, they were on to the next within a few minutes. The chef had actually stood there while they argued about their next trifle for at least ten minutes until Richard and Zedd took pity on him and told him he could leave.

"But you are wrong about this one." Ben continued. "Those were not donan chipmunks back there. They were ordinary ground squirrels. I'm willing to bet anything."

"Oh really?" Cara said placing a hand on her hip and raising her eyebrows. "Fine. If I'm right you have to shut up for the rest of the trip." Fat chance Richard thought. "And if you're right, though let's be completely honest the chances of that happening are very slim, then…" She said placing a finger to her chin and tapping it in thought. "Then I will polish your boots for you when we camp for the night. Deal?"

"And I want to hear it from your lips, Mistress Cara, that you were wrong. Add that and we have a deal." Ben said.

"Fine, deal." Cara answered rolling her eyes and waving her hand flippantly.

"Alright, Richard, back me up on this. Were those donan chipmunks or ordinary ground squirrels?" Ben asked.

"Sorry Cara." Was all Richard said.

"Ha! I knew it." Ben exclaimed.

"He didn't even see them." Cara protested crossing her arms hard against her chest and turning her head away from Ben.

"Oh, what's that? I'm sorry I couldn't hear you over the sound of how right I am!" Ben said lifting his left hand to cup his ear. Even though their arguing was a nuisance that made Richard smirk. He didn't think it was really important that he hadn't actually seen the squirrels but he decided to cover anyway in the hope that it would end the discussion.

"Sorry Cara, donan chipmunks look very similar to ground squirrels. They are alike in size, build, and color, but donan chipmunks don't quite have as long a tail and their backsides are white. Those two had orange hind ends. They were ground squirrels. It's an easy mistake to make. Back when I was a woods guide the dignitaries I used to escort through the woods in Westland could rarely tell the difference either." Richard consoled.

"Yeah, yeah, but I was right?" Ben asked.

"Yes, you were right, Ben." Richard said.

"However, more importantly, that means that you, Mistress Cara, were…" Ben said raising his hand expectantly toward Cara.

"Go piss yourself!" Cara spat.

"No. No. Help me out here. If I was right and you took the opposite position that I did then that would mean that you were…"

"Wrong! Alright I was wrong. Are you happy now?"

"Quite." Ben oozed through his grin.

Cara huffed and Ben wiggled his head from side to side, his smile wide with delight.

"I'm still right about the persimmon though." Cara interjected after a few seconds.

"By the spirits, you just can't let that go can you?" Ben began.

Richard and Kahlan both exhaled and looked to the sky as they realized they were about to be launched back into the persimmon fiasco again.

"Can't you please do something to make them stop?" Kahlan asked expectantly.

Richard smiled at her and squeezed her leg next to his.

"Alright, everyone, I think we should begin to set up camp for the night." He said. Kahlan exhaled a silent wide-eyed thank you to him.

"I'll get some fire wood." Cara said.

"Sounds good." Richard said looking behind him. As he did, Ben raised his eyebrows expectantly at Richard. "And try and be quiet about it Cara." Richard added as Ben fought back a smile and Cara glared at him.

"I'll see if there is any game in the area." Ben said jumping down off his horse. He really had made quite a miraculous recovery thanks to Zedd.

"Also sounds good." Richard replied as he looked at Kahlan who still had a look of expectancy on her face as she gestured with her eyes off in front of them. He looked and saw smoke rising. A town. She was brilliant. "There is a town not too far off. Kahlan isn't feeling too well. We'll ride there and see if we can find an apothecary, but if we can't we may have to spend the night. So, don't be surprised if we don't return later."

"Is everything alright? Do I need to accompany you?" Cara asked.

Quickly Richard answered, "No! No! We'll be fine."

"Are you sure? Kahlan?" Cara said looking at Kahlan, who had caught on right away and was wistfully feeling her forehead, her eyes large and sad.

"I'm fine Cara. I just need a bit of rest and some of it off this hard forest floor will do me a world of good." Kahlan replied.

"We'll wait for you two in the town square tomorrow morning if we can't make it back tonight. Okay?" Richard said.

"Sounds good to me." Ben said as he tested the draw of his hunting bow.

"Alright. I would feel better if I went with you two though." Cara said with reluctance in her voice.

"You can't go with them. Have you already forgotten our deal? You have some serious boot cleaning to do Mistress Cara. So if I were you I'd get a move on collecting that firewood because I made sure that you'd have a time of it." Ben said with a smirk as he looked down at the puddle of mud he had jumped into when he had dismounted.

With a huff Cara dismounted and Richard and Kahlan said good bye and headed off. Down the trail a bit Richard could hear off in the distance Ben yell,

"And I expect to be able to see my face in them in the morning!"

Richard smiled to himself. It was very scary how similar those two were. Kahlan grabbed his hand and smiled at him.

"Well, I never knew the Seeker of Truth could be so diabolical." She said.

"I could tell you needed a break and I thought that maybe this town might have a room we could rent for the night." Richard told her.

"Really?" Kahlan asked with a playful smile. "And what, pray tell, would we need a room for?"

Richard smiled back at her and raised the back of her hand to his lips. As he kissed her they both giggled.

* * *

Ben stepped out of the darkness of the woods into the warm glow of the fire Cara had started. She looked up at him from her seat on the far side of the fire pit, his boots shining in the warm light next to her still not clean, as he strode up to the fire and laid down his catch for the night, two conies.

"Not much in this area, but I think these two will keep us nourished enough for the night." He said as he grabbed another log and dragged it to the opposite side of the fire and sat.

"That's good." Cara replied as she stood, never taking her eyes off of him.

There was something in the way she was staring at him that unnerved him. It made him feel uncomfortable, almost naked.

"Of course, we aren't going to have any dinner tonight the way you have the fire going. We'll never be able to cook on those embers. They're nearly going out as it is. Where's the wood?" He asked. In response Cara looked off behind her to where she had stacked the branches she had collected.

With a grunt, Ben rose from his seat and walked around the fire to the pile, but just as he was about to bend down and pick up a few branches Cara stepped in his way, her red leather standing like a brick wall blocking his path. He stood up straight and looked at her. Her eyes were fixed on his. Intense. Ben rolled his eyes.

"I get it. You're a badass. Now I'm hungry Cara can you please?" He said as he stepped around her and began to bend to pick up a branch again, but once more Cara stepped in front of him, this time so close that their noses nearly touched when he stood to confront her again. He laughed nervously.

"Cara what are you-" He began. But before he could get the words out, Cara leaned forward and kissed him hard and quick on the lips, and then retreated.

Confusion flooded his mind. What was she doing? With his brow drawn down tight he reached up and touched his lower lip. Drawing his hand away he looked at it then looked again at Cara, her eyes still resolutely gazing into his. With a small smile she bit her lower lip and again plunged at him.

Ben reached up and grabbed her by the shoulders pushing her back. He looked deeply into her eyes, the ones that still haunted his dreams. She bit her lip again. His brow loosened as he reached up with his right hand and smoothed a few strands of blond hair away from her face, softly caressing her pronounced cheek bones as he did. Tucking the hairs behind her ear, he continued his hand down the side of her face grazing her jaw as he brought his hand below her chin. His mind lingered on how beautiful she was. The soft light from the fire only highlighted her glorious features as it danced over her skin. Lifting her head only slightly with the second knuckle of his index finger, he slowly reached up with his thumb and gently pried her lower lip open. Leaning in he kissed her.

Their lips parted for a split second. He could feel her hot breath on his chin. Out of the corners of their eyes they glanced at each other. Then desire took hold. Passionately they kissed. He reached around her and with one hand cradled the back of her neck at the base of her skull and with the other found the small of her back. She reached around him as well one hand landing squarely between his shoulder blades and the other landing on his left buttock. She squeezed hard. His eyes went wide as their open mouths met again, tongues entangling and saliva mingling. It was hard for him to catch his breath. Everything was happening so fast. He exhaled hard and took a deep breath just as she too exhaled. Her breath was now inside of him.

Her hands left his butt and back and reached up to either side of his head, messing his spiky hair as she ran her fingers through it. As they kissed he slowly lowered her down onto the forest floor, removing his hand from the small of her back as they reached the ground placing it next to her on the earth. He was on top of her now. Their bodies pressed together. Her leather creaked as she arched her back and his right leg slid in between her thighs. He could feel the heat of her lust when it did. Suddenly his senses returned to him. With a smack of their lips he pushed away from her. She moaned in yearning as she tried to kiss him again but he turned his head. She flopped back down to the ground flailing her arms out to the side as he removed his other hand from the back of her head and placed it on the ground as well.

"Wait!" He screamed. "I don't get you. First you hate me, then you rescue me, then when I admit my love for you, you tell me that you'll never love me back, and now you're kissing me? What's the deal, Cara? Please explain it to me, cause right now I am beyond confused."

She smiled up at him.

"Come on, you're the one who takes such great pleasure in being right. You were right all along. " She said as she brought her lips up to kiss him again.

"Wait!" Ben said as he pushed her away again. Cara exhaled in frustration. "So, I was right?"

"Yes." Cara said with an eye roll.

"So that's it? Just like that? And you just expect me to go along with this?" Ben asked raising his eyebrows.

"I think you already are." Cara said with a devious smile as she tried to kiss him again.

Ben shoved her back down yet again.

"Stop it!" He screamed. "Explain."

Cara looked up at him, her eyes large and wet, all pretense and deception gone. Propping herself up on her elbows she began,

"When I was a young girl I was taken from my family by the Mord'Sith."

"I know Richard told me." Ben said looking away. "He said you were chosen by them because of your great compassion as a child."

"That's right. But they took me in and raised me. Ever since then I was taught that love made you weak. It's only been since I started travelling with Richard and Kahlan and Zedd that I've begun to see how their love for each other can make them strong." She paused. "How my love for them can make me strong."

Her eyes began to water, tears on the verge of falling.

"Still," she continued, "I have trouble shaking the lessons I learned when I was a young. You have to understand, for my entire life I feared getting close with anyone. So, when you told me that you loved me, it was hard for me to comprehend and my first reaction was to push you away. But as I walked and thought about it, I realized how stupid I was being. Words cannot express how sorry I am for treating you and your feelings the way I did. I was wrong. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

"There is nothing to forgive." Ben responded as he leaned down and kissed her forehead, then her eyebrow, then her cheek and then finally their mouths locked once more. For what felt like years their lips touched and he was in ecstasy, but then Cara pushed him away.

"Wait there is something I need to tell you and I am scared to death what will happen when I do, but I must. It has to do with something that happened in my past and I'm afraid you will hate me when you learn it."

"I couldn't." Ben said.

"No, you don't understand -" Cara began, but Ben cut her off.

"No, you don't understand, but I do. Richard helped me understand." Ben said as he reached up and smoothed some more stray strands of hair away from her face. "Nothing you've done in your past has any bearing on how I feel for you. It doesn't matter what you have done because you are not the same person you were back then. You see, Cara, I am in love with you right now. So, the Cara that did whatever it was you were about to tell me is not the Cara I love. So, I don't need to know about whatever you thought you needed to tell me, not only that, I don't care. I love you now and that is all that really matters."

Cara smiled as tears began to fall from her eyes. She reached up around his neck pulling him down on top of her, their bodies intertwining as they kissed. Frantically, Cara's hands ran up and down his back bunching up his shirt around his shoulder blades. As he began to reach up to remove her leather from her shoulders she once again pushed him back.

"Wait!" She said, her eyes indicating how serious she was. "You can't tell Kahlan. I'd never hear the end of it."

"What?" Ben said in confusion.

"Just, please." Cara replied.

"Alright. But I want to hear you say it." Ben said with a playful smile. Cara smiled back.

"I love you." She said blithely with a waggle of her head.

"Say it again." Ben said, his smile growing wider.

"I love you." Cara repeated.

"Now scream it with my name." Ben said, raising his chin and shaking his head.

"Benjamin Meiffert! I love you!" Cara screamed arching her back again.

Ben brought his gaze back down and looked her in the eyes, only a hint of a smile left on his face but his eyes alight with joy.

"Now whisper it to me." He said softly.

Cara smiled and bit her lower lip again as she sat up and brought her cheek to meet his placing her mouth right next to Ben's right ear, her smooth skin the antithesis to the traveler's stubble that had grown on his face .

"I love you." She whispered seductively as she bit his ear lobe and pulled him down on top of her.

He could feel her ample breasts against his chest. As they kissed she writhed underneath him with desire. Carefully he removed her leather as she removed his shirt and pants. Then passion took hold once again, for good.

* * *

"All the arrangements have been made." Richard said as he walked into the room and turned around to shut the door behind him.

"We won't be disturbed?" Kahlan asked as Richard set about locking the door.

"No." He said over his shoulder.

"Good." Kahlan said alluringly.

Richard turned around to find her standing naked before him. His heart leapt in his chest and he swallowed hard as he took in her amazing beauty. He walked to her, a smile on his face as he reached around her and pulled her to him, his hands rubbing against the silky skin of her back. She smiled back. They kissed long and fervidly as they slowly moved to the small bed off to their left.

He couldn't believe this was actually going to happen. For so long they had wanted this and for so long they had believed it was impossible. However, with love nothing was impossible. He slowly lowered her down onto the bed and began to unlace his shirt and pants. She helped. Finally they could be together. He leaned down on top of her and kissed her as she pulled him down close to her. Their skin touched and goose pimples spread as the joy of what was about to happen finally dawned on them both. Softly he squeezed her thigh with one hand as he gently cupped her breast with the other. He looked into her eyes and then passion took hold, for good.


	18. A Little Gift

The place stank. The vile mixture of ale, sweat, and lust looming in the air was enough to make her sick to her stomach. If her constitution had not been so strong, she probably would have been already. Gluttonous eyes watched her. Lecherous orbs searching her every inch, taking in every bump, angle and curve of her sultry carnal form. They weren't searching for her though. They were searching for themselves.

Even though she hated these houses of sin, she was no stranger to them either. These dens of iniquity were ripe for the picking when it came to finding new and ignorant slaves. She knew all too well these men were inept, sheepish, and stupid. Some were here because they could find no woman that would bed with them. Whether they were misshapen or simply completely maladroit when it came to the ladies, they found there identity here. Some had simply been shunned or become bored of their wives. They found their new self in bedding beautiful young ladies who would not usually give them the time of day. Some simply found pleasure in fucking anything with a cunt. No matter what the reason, these men were seeking some semblance of selfhood. They were looking for something to define them and that made them vulnerable, and she saw no reason not to work that vulnerability to her advantage. It wasn't her fault they were so weak but if they wanted an identity she would gladly provide one in serving her, though there may be messy consequences these boys hadn't counted on.

It had been many years since she had needed to debase herself to this level. During the war there had always been a fresh supply of enemy soldiers to add to her ranks. Even after the war was over the other Mord'Sith in her service had served well for menial, demeaning jobs like this, but that was no longer an option, not since he had come back into her life. They were all gone. He had taken everything from her again. For the third time now he had raped her very soul and left her to die. _He will pay._ She half thought to herself and half prayed to the spirit of her sister. _He will pay for the way he abandoned us. He will pay for the blood he spilled. He will pay for every second I've wasted thinking about ending his worthless life. And mostly he will pay for once again underestimating my resilience. Just like father paid._ She could feel the rage rising inside her as she dwelled on the injustices he had visited upon her. Slowly she regained control over her emotions. _All in good time Seh'ra. All in good time. We must take it one step at a time however. First you must find a way to defeat his disgusting little companions. Then we will show him what we do with odious little dogs like him._

She had travelled for two weeks. She knew that Ben and the Seeker must be heading north to Aydindril so that was where she had headed, avoiding the city however. If there was one place Mord'Sith would never be welcome it was in the city of the Mother Confessor. The "nunnery" she now found herself in was situated Northwest of the city very near the border between the Midlands and the land controlled by the Blood of the fold.

She turned around and stared out the black window into the gloom of the cold night in an attempt to avoid the rapacious eyes that followed her every move. It was to no avail however. The darkness of the night combined with the bright fire in the hearth and the candles burning in the small brothel meant that the only thing she could see in the window was the reflection of the room behind her. Everywhere she turned those beady little ocular hands found her and groped her all over. She couldn't stand the feeling even though she knew it was a means to an end.

She heard a giggle and watched in the reflection as a rather homely, yet very busty, young blond, she could not have been older than fifteen, wearing a very low cut blouse that exposed more of her bosom than would be thought proper even in a place like this and a rather short blue skirt, playfully stroked the cheek of the man whose lap she was sitting on. He was skinny, his red shirt so lose on him it almost looked an evening gown, with receding black hair and a thick black mustache. Twice her age at least, he whispered something in her ear and she giggled once more. Playfully she placed her forefinger in her mouth and bit the tip of it as he squeezed one of her ample breasts. With another giggle she was up, her chest nearly spilling out of her blouse as she rose, seductively leading him up the stairs in the back of the room, his mouth half open as his eyes never left her hips as they swayed back and forth with every step.

_Disgusting..._ She thought. …s_o easily swayed by a pair of breasts, some broad hips, and a smile._ She shook her head.

She searched the reflection again and found one man seated across the room eyeing her hungrily. He was short, almost a dwarf, his legs even dangled freely from the bench where he sat. He had no hair to speak of. Most would call him bald. But he still seemed young, maybe twenty. He wore black leggings and a black waistcoat on which was emblazoned a red portcullis. He looked her up and down, the most revolting sneer etched on his face. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and watched as he cocked his head in approval watching her move. Even in this ridiculous flower dress that she wore she could still work her curves to reduce men to putty. It didn't matter though this man was of no use to her. He was an imp, as good as an invalid. He couldn't fight, he couldn't carry messages, he couldn't fetch her food or water, hell, he probably couldn't even please her in bed. No he wouldn't do. She needed to find a better subject.

She scanned the reflection again. Bodies were entwined in steamy embraces and bodily fluids were exchanged if only by mouth down here as opposed to otherwise upstairs. She looked left and saw one of the other whores give her a suspicious look. They had all been fearful of her since the Madame of the house, whom she had tortured, had introduced her two nights ago. Whores rightfully trusted no one, especially not their own. She moved on and looked right and noticed by the absence of the searching eyes that the imp was gone. Suddenly she felt a tug at her skirt. Turning she found him, the top of his head barely coming to her chest. He bowed low, his bald head reflecting the fire light, and said.

"Good evening my lady. I am Steven of Gateshead, squire to the mighty Ivan of Gateshead. "

_Squire… _ She laughed to herself. …_more like chief boot washer, when your stunted little stumps can carry you far enough to retrieve your master's boots._

"Surely you must have heard of him, my lady." He continued. "He just won the tournament at Thornfield not a stone's throw from here. I'm afraid we must be leaving for our home on the morrow and I would be amiss not to have the pleasure of such a fine lady. What may I call you?"

"Not interested." She answered.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked.

"Listen you disgusting little dandiprat, you aren't fit to lick my asshole so be off now. I'm not interested."

"Oh, really?" Steven said incredulously as he put his stubby arms on his squat hips. "A picky wench is it? You listen to me, slut, I'm going to bend you over tonight whether you like it or not, so unlace that bodice, pull up that skirt and march right up those stairs and I might forgive your insults. Otherwise, I'm afraid it's going to be a long and painful night for the pretty girl in the flower dress."

"You have no idea what pain is." She warned, leaning down to his level, her face a plate of steel. "Walk… a… way!"

He reached up and smacked her hard across the face.

"That's about enough of that. I said up the stairs with you. Now! Whore!" He screamed pointing at the stairs.

The room fell silent, the laughing, merriment, and transgression dissipating like the morning mist in the sun. Every eye was now focused on them. Seh'ra reached up and felt the warm red spot where he had struck her. She licked her lips and found that the blow had cause her to bite her lower lip, drawing blood, but the only red she saw was for the imp. With gritted teeth she wound up and swung hard at the top of his head, screaming her head off. However, her blow was cut short as the Madame of the house quickly rushed in, her scraggly black hair and blue dress flowing as she ran with all expediency to stop her. Catching Seh'ra's arm and turning it aside, she turned to the dwarf, who surprised by Seh'ra's outburst, had cowered to the floor in an attempt to avoid the blow, and said.

"I'm sorry my good sir. Tircy has been in a foul mood the past few days. Surely there are other ladies here more to your liking. In fact, for your troubles, let me treat you to two of our finest. Treenie, Yaya, come." She called.

When she did two beautiful young ladies, one a red head with alabaster skin and freckles dotting her nose and the other an exotic beauty with flowing black hair and flesh the color of bronze, left the two suitors they had been entertaining before the outburst.

"See my good sir." The Madame continued. "There are no finer beauties in all the land. They will certainly show you the hospitality a man of your stature deserves."

At that Seh'ra couldn't hold back a laugh. The dwarf shot her a glare but as Treenie and Yaya started to caress him and whisper in his ears he cooled.

"Yes, thank you ma'am." He said as the girls began to lead him to the stairs. Just before they reached them he turned and said to the room. "I didn't want that whore anyway, too unpolished for my tastes. And her face… too graceless. There is a brutish quality to her that just won't do." Then he turned to her and said. "Goodnight my lady. I can only hope you have learned a valuable lesson from this and if I were you I would pray that we do not meet again." With that he left with Treenie and Yaya.

_A lesson? _She thought. _I'll teach you a less—_

Just then a large muscular man dressed in a green surcoat burst through the door and planted himself at the bar. It broke her concentration. This man was a fighter, she knew it. He carried himself well. Even though he looked dejected for some reason, he was not unkempt. His short-cropped brown hair was immaculate and his face was nice and clean. It was clear he was strong and judging by the scar above his right eye he had clearly seen his share of action. Yes, he would do nicely.

She stared at him from across the room, taking in every inch of him. She watched as he ordered a drink and slowly took a long hard swig from the mug placed in front of him, his strong hands grasping it. She watched as he gasped in exhilaration from the ale and wiped his mouth clean with his bare muscular forearm. She saw the tendrils in the muscles in his legs through the slit in the side of his coat. She knew deep inside of her she was looking at the new genesis of her army. The dwarf would have to wait.

Slowly, yet seductively she slinked across the room and leaned against the bar next to him, her breasts rubbing ever so slightly against his bulging arm. He turned to her and smiled. She smiled back.

"Well, general we haven't seen you in a while. How goes things in The Fold?" The bartender asked.

General? The Fold? This couldn't have gotten any better. She would once again have an entire battalion of soldiers at her command and sooner than she had expected and the Blood of the Fold were already at war with Ben, the Seeker, and all their sickening little friends. It was perfect. The spirit of her sister must have smiled down upon her and sent her this little gift.

"Swimmingly, sir." The man replied, his voice a husky, dark song to her ears. "We have had a little set back, a major battle lost, but we will recover as we always have. Through hardship you must press on and payback your enemies tenfold, I've always said. And what about you dearie?" He said turning to her. "How do you deal with your enemies?"

"Swiftly and brusquely." She answered with a shake of the head.

"Ha! Well said, dear one. Well said. Your face is new to me, though. Madame!" He called. The Madame came running. "Who is this visage before me? I've never seen her before and I don't think I would have forgotten such a beauty." He said with a cunning smile.

"This is Tircy, sir. A new addition to our… family."

"She seems rather forceful and sharp, am I right?" Seh'ra faked a giggle.

"Oh yes sir. You'll not find anyone as … vigorous as Tircy." The Madame replied with a sheepish glance to Seh'ra.

"Tircy is it?"

"You're quick." She replied.

"Ha. Well Tircy, I'm tired and could use a bit of rest and relaxation. Would you care to join me upstairs?"

"Certainly. Let me lead the way." She said as she grabbed his crotch and started dragging him toward the stairs.

"Easy, dearie." He said as he pried her hands off his genitalia. "You don't want to blunt my blade before the battle."

Up the stairs there was a long hallway. To the left and the right at least a dozen rooms branched off, separated from the hallway usually by a door but sometimes only by a brown drape hung from the lintel of the door. Slowly she led him down the hall. The first two rooms on either side were vacant, the doors and drapes standing wide open. At the third door to the left she could hear, through the drape, the sound of the imp and his two sluts screaming in ecstasy, or at least faked ecstasy most likely when it came to the girls. The journey down the hall was similar. Some rooms were empty while the sounds from others would have made her think someone was being murdered inside, if she hadn't known better. Finally they reached her room, the last on the right, farthest from the room downstairs. She had reserved this room when she had first arrived and though the door was closed she knew that none of the other girls would have dared to use this room. She reached up and turned the knob, but as she did the general grabbed her shoulders, turned her around, kissed her hard on the lips and rammed her through the door.

She reached up slammed the butts of her palms into his chest and pushed him away, their lips smacking as they parted.

"Hands off, worm!" She screamed, spitting and wiping her mouth.

"Oh, you've got a bit of fight in you. I like that. Come here!" He shouted as he lunged at her with his huge arms, attempting to envelope her in a bear hug.

She side stepped and tripped him sending him flailing onto the bed, as she quickly opened the end table and took something out of it.

"Stop it!" She shouted, turning back to him. With a surprised look on his face he sat up on the edge of the bed. "Now if you just behave yourself I've got something very special for you, general."

"You do? Well give it to me sweets!" He said bouncing on the bed in excitement.

"Calm down, my pet." She said as she straddled him and sat on his lap. "First you must close your eyes." She whispered enchantingly in his ear.

With a squeal of enthusiasm he shut his eyes and raised his nose to the sky.

"That's it, my pet. Are you ready?" She said stroking the top of his head.

"Oh yes." He replied.

With a hard thrust she jammed the agiel she had retrieved from the end table drawer underneath his chin.

The look of pain and shock on his face brought her so close to the edge of ecstasy she cried out.


	19. Fire

**Fire**

(Sorry it's been so long guys. Hopefully I will have more time to finish this now)

Gently the sun caressed her face, its sparkling luminosity warming her cheeks in defiance of the frigid northern air. It almost seemed to her as if its rays were seeking her out, as if the Creator herself was sending down magical beams of serenity to match her inner elation. It was almost as if the world itself had brought her and Richard together and was now celebrating their union the only way it knew how. She reveled in its balmy jubilee. As she rode, she lifted her head ever so slightly and smiled.

It had been five days since that perfect night with Richard. She still had to concentrate very hard to focus on anything else. Anytime she looked at Richard memories flooded her mind and she was lost in exhilaration. Every time he smiled at her or gently touched her arm or leg as they rode, she could feel the pleasure that his touch had brought that night rising again inside of her. It was true bliss. True magic. The ecstasy she felt in knowing that she was fully and truly in love was beyond words, but the fact that she, a confessor, could not only have that love but express it with her beloved was, for lack of a better word, orgasmic. Five days later she still couldn't think of anything else.

A light breeze tousled some strands of hair across her face and sent a wave through the long blades of grass covering the undulating meadow that they were riding through. How beautiful it was she thought as she watched the green surge move along the hills. The meadow was dancing for her… no, not for her, for her and Richard. She shook her head to get the stray strands of hair away from her eyes and mouth and looked up again at the sun, silently saying a prayer of thanks to the Creator.

"How much further?" Ben asked from behind her.

"Not much," Richard replied from the front. "In fact we should be able to see the city from the top of this next hill."

"Good," Ben said, "my butt is really starting to hurt. It's like someone took both cheeks, beat them with a tenderizer, cooked them over an open flame, and then served them to some starving hearthounds."

"Well, thank you very much for that mental image." Cara interjected from just behind her with a look of disgust. "I enjoyed my breakfast so much this morning, I'm glad you're giving me the chance to see it again."

"I could cut you open right now and save you the trouble of vomiting, if you'd like." Ben spat.

"Enough you two," Richard remanded, "we'll have enough trouble when we get to Aydindril. We don't need you two killing each other before we get there."

"He started it." Cara whined as she unsuccessfully fought to hold back a sneeze.

Kahlan smiled. Even though everything had changed for her and Richard five nights ago, not much had changed between Cara and Ben. Though, to be honest, it did seem to her as though something about their relationship had changed that night they spent alone in the woods.

Even though she knew Richard was trying to get him and her some time alone together, and she was grateful to finally be away from Cara and Ben's constant bickering, she still hadn't felt it was a good idea to leave them alone together in the woods.

"They'll end up killing each other. You know that, right?" She had said to him.

"I'm not sure I see the problem." Richard had said with a playful smile. "At least, if they do, we won't have to listen to their arguing any longer. Zedd had the right idea running off like he did. "

"Richard, I'm not joking. They have never really gotten along and it's been even worse since whatever it was that happened at Cale's house. What if—"

"They aren't going to kill each other Kahlan. They might get into a very bad fight but they won't kill each other. Either way they need to learn to get along. Clearly it isn't helping for us to be there with them, so let's see how letting them be alone together does. It can't make things any worse. Plus, I think there's a little more to how both of them feel about the other than either of them lets on."

"What do you mean?" Kahlan asked.

"I don't know. There have just been clues that make me think there is more than meets the eye with those two."

"What clues?" Kahlan asked incredulously.

"I don't know, just things they do or don't seem to do when they are with each other. I can't place it exactly, but when you notice them it makes you scratch your head."

He had been right. They hadn't killed each other that night and as they rode to meet her and Richard, Richard had pointed out that Ben's boots hadn't been cleaned like Cara had promised to do the night before. There is no way Ben would have let that slide. It was beyond strange. Before she had realized what she was doing she reached up and scratched her head in bewilderment. Richard had only smiled at her. Ever since that night however it seemed as though both Cara and Ben were going out of each other's ways to insult and badger the other. It again made her scratch her head.

She looked up at the sun once more and smiled. None of it mattered. She was happy. She was elated. She was in love.

"You certainly seem to be in a good mood." Cara said as she rode up to match Kahlan and sneezed again. "In fact you seem like you've been in another world for the past few days. I take it you had a good night in that town a few days back." She said with a devious smile and a sniffle.

"You could say that." Kahlan said as she felt the blood rushing to her face.

"Good for you. I have to be honest, I wasn't sure Richard had it in him. While he may be the Seeker, with some things it seems like he needs everything to be spelled out for him."

"There was only one letter being said that night. Trust me."

"Oh?" Cara said raising her eyebrows.

"Exactly." Kahlan replied as they both covered their mouths to stifle their laughter.

Another breeze sent a surge across the meadows and Kahlan diverted her gaze from Cara's eyes to watch the swell overtake the magnificent countryside behind her. As she did she caught the slightest glimpse of a tiny red flower tucked behind Cara's ear as the wind mussed Cara's beautiful blonde hair the tiniest bit.

"What's that?" She asked.

"What?" Cara asked with a sniffle.

"Behind your ear, what is that? Is that a flower?"

Self-consciously Cara reached up and touched her ear where the flower was and quickly moved her hair back into place to cover it.

"It's nothing." She said, her downward gaze indicating that she was hiding something.

"C'mon Cara, what is it? Why do you have a flower? Where did you get it?" Kahlan persisted.

"No one." Cara sneezed.

"I didn't ask if anyone gave it to you," Kahlan said with a suspicious look, "just where you got it. Cara, remember you are speaking to a confessor. Even though I can' read Mord'Sith I can still tell when someone is lying. C'mon, where did you get it?"

Cara rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Ben gave it to me okay!" She spat, still sniffling.

"Ben?" Kahlan asked, confused.

"Yes, I was having trouble with the bugs constantly getting in my eyes in this god awful place so Ben gave me this flower and said it would help. Okay? Does that answer please the Mother Confessor, or is she going to continue with the third degree?"

"Okay, I'm sorry Cara. It's just I thought flowers made you sneeze."

"That's ridiculous." Cara said as she achooed once more.

Kahlan scratched her head, perplexed.

They continued on and as they all reached the top of the hill they stopped and took in the sight. Directly ahead of them no more than a day's ride stood the city of Aydindril. Grey mountains rose off in the distance and to the left and the right, and nestled at their base rose a gigantic mass of white stone buildings built directly on the mountain. Ivory walls rose from the valley floor bracketed by sharp stone slopes to either side. Behind the walls it was impossible to see what lay, but as the city rose up the slope of the mountain they could see the buildings getting larger and larger till they saw, situated right in the middle of the city and atop the highest level, the Confessor's palace. Elegant spires and towers rose all throughout it, surrounding a massive central dome. The entire structure simultaneously reaching for the sky and dwarfing all the surrounding palaces of the various dignitaries of the midlands located down the streets surrounding it. High atop the mountain, accessed by a concourse that followed the mountain slope switching back and forth repeatedly as it climbed, sat the Wizard's Keep. Across a precarious bridge that spanned a large chasm between the peak of one mountain to the side of another, its square towers emerged directly from the mountain itself and disappeared into the mountain side as they descended, but windows could still be seen cut out of the mountain side below that.

It was a magnificent sight to behold and it was a sight Kahlan had not seen for what had to be going on a year. Suddenly she felt a rush as she realized that this city, her city, the seat of the Mother Confessor, had been overtaken by D'harans. Her blood boiled and she could feel her magic rising inside of her in response to her anger. Quickly she put a tighter grip on her magic but not on the anger. She was ready to do whatever it took to win back the city, save the lives of its people, and rescue her sister.

Ben let out a low whistle in astonishment. They all sat in silence, stunned by the sheer beauty of the city. After a few moments Richard broke the silence.

"We'll camp over there for the night." Richard said as he pointed off to their left toward the tree line dividing this hilly meadow from the forest.

"Camp what do you mean?" Kahlan asked. "The city is no more than a day's ride away. If we push we can make it by nightfall."

"And then do what Kahlan?" Richard asked. "We don't know what the D'harans have in store for us in there. I'd rather be well rested and prepared for whatever may come than rush in and get our heads chopped off."

He was right and she knew it, despite how much she hated to admit it. She cast a glance to the city. _I'm coming Dennee. _She thought to herself as she nodded in resignation to Richard's point.

They rode for another three hours and set up camp just inside the tree line while the sun was still relatively high in the sky. Ben volunteered to go hunting for dinner while Cara volunteered to go collect fire wood, leaving her and Richard to set up a shelter. Within a few hours they had made a simple yet effective lean to and had constructed a small fire pit surrounded by logs to sit on.

Richard sat down on the log facing the meadow they had ridden through this morning and motioned for her to join him. She did with pleasure. Leaning against him with her arms wrapped tightly around his waist and her head on his chest for what felt like hours, she couldn't have been happier as she watched the wind driven tide ebb and flow through the long grass of the field in the late day sun. They didn't say a word to each other. They just held each other.

After a while she could feel Richard stirring, looking this way and that, searching the forest. She ignored it and hugged him tighter around his waist. He relaxed and hugged her back. She breathed out and felt the warmth of her happiness inside of her. After a few minutes, however, Richard stirred again. With a disappointed huff, she looked up at his eyes.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Where are they?" Richard said.

"Who?"

"Ben and Cara. They've been gone for hours now." Richard replied.

"Well, maybe the hunting isn't all that great." Kahlan said not at all eager to have Ben and Cara back and arguing.

"I can understand that as a reason for Ben being gone so long, though he is an excellent hunter, but Cara was hunting for wood. She shouldn't have even needed to leave the camp. This is the third night in a row they've taken long doing this. I wouldn't even give it a second thought except how close we are to the city."

Richard was right. A growing sense of dread began to rise in Kahlan. They were awfully close to a D'haran controlled city. What if something had happened to Cara and Ben? What if they had wandered too far and gotten too close to the city? What if they had been captured or worse killed?

"We should go look for them." Richard said resolutely.

Kahlan nodded her agreement.

"How do you propose we go about it?" She asked.

"Well, Ben is much better in the woods than Cara, so he will be harder to track. I'll go after Ben and you see if you can find Cara. Do you remember how to track like I taught you?"

"Yes." Kahlan answered.

"Good. I'll get Ben. You get Cara and we'll meet back here."

Kahlan nodded again as she rose and gathered herself as she set out following Cara's trail from camp. Richard did the same following Ben's trail.

"Kahlan!" Richard called out just as they were both about to leave the safety of their camp. She looked into his eyes. "Be careful." He said with a meaningful look. She smiled and nodded.

"You too."

She found it easy to follow Cara's trail, but the longer she did the more it confused her. Cara had constantly double backed on herself and when she wasn't doubling back it seemed as if she were just wandering about. Not only that but it seemed as if she hadn't been collecting firewood at all. Kahlan had passed several piles of what seemed to be very good firewood, but Cara hadn't touched them at all. It had been a half an hour since she had started tracking Cara and just now the trail seemed to be straightening out and starting to make sense. Cara still hadn't touched any wood though. The only good thing she could see about Cara's trail was that it didn't seem to have been intersected by anyone else's trail, so it didn't seem that she had been kidnapped or at least the trail didn't indicate that yet.

She continued to follow it almost in a straight line now. Cara was walking with a purpose wherever she was going. She saw a broken tree branch ahead of her and saw the ever so slightest imprint of a boot ahead of that. As she looked out ahead she saw that Cara was headed for a thicket. Before long Kahlan was confronted with a thick brush of thorny bushes, but Cara's path led straight through it. She also saw to her left that another's trail had followed Cara's right through the brush. That was all the urgency she needed. Cara was being followed which meant she had to be in danger.

With a deep breath Kahlan pushed through the bushes. The thicket was much deeper than she at first thought it was. For minutes she pushed and pushed. After a few minutes she could hear something. It was someone moaning. No, it was Cara moaning. She must be hurt. She pushed all the harder, moving branches out of her way. Finally she could see a clearing up ahead and could tell the moans were coming from it. With all her might she burst through into the clearing.

With a surprised yelp she stopped dead in her tracks and placed her hand just over her chest an inch away from it. At just that moment, off to her left, Richard came bursting through the brush as well, a surprised and confused look on his face.

Just in front of them Ben and Cara, in a passionate embrace, lay on a blanket in the middle of the thicket, naked as their name days. With a start Cara jerked away from Ben and grabbed the blanket out from under him to cover herself. Ben quickly grabbed his pants and put them on in a flash, standing next to Cara, using his hands to hold up his unlaced pants.

"What the…How did… Why…?" Richard began in bewilderment.

He was confused. But despite the shock of finding them like this, everything finally made sense to Kahlan. She looked skyward through an opening in the trees at the beautiful purple sky that the sunset was creating and moved her hand over her chest to her heart.

"Now it all finally makes sense." She said, more to herself than to the others.

Ben and Cara stood frozen unable to say anything, looks of both confusion and guilt written on their faces.

"What are you talking about?" Richard said. "What makes sense?"

"Everything. Isn't that right Cara?" She said looking into Cara's eyes ignoring the fact that one of her breasts had slipped out from behind the blanket. Cara stood frozen still. "The way you made us ride our horses to death to get to the Mord'Sith temple, the way you risked dying in order to rescue Ben, the reason you were wearing that flower this afternoon even though flowers make you sneeze…"

"Flowers make you sneeze?" Ben interjected. Cara only sneered and rolled her eyes.

"And," Kahlan continued, "the reason you both have been so long in hunting and collecting wood these past few days." Kahlan turned and looked at Richard. "They are in love."

Richard couldn't believe what he was hearing but the evidence in front of him was undeniable.

"Why didn't you two just tell us?" He asked.

"Well, that would be a question Cara is going to have to answer." Ben said as he placed his hand on his hip still using the other to hold up his pants. "Because I'm not really sure I understand either."

They all turned their gaze to Cara who had pulled the blanket up a bit higher on her chest to conceal her exposed breast. She let out an exasperated grunt.

"Because I never would have heard the end of it from Kahlan. Somehow she knew how I felt towards you and I didn't want to give her the ammunition to constantly be reminding me of it. I wanted us being together to be special and pure. I didn't want it ruined by someone else's teasing."

"Cara," Kahlan said a hurt look on her face, "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. I promise you I won't gloat about how I was right all along about you and Ben."

"See here we go." Cara said with a roll of her head.

"No, no Cara." Kahlan said as she walked over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Any pride that I feel is trumped by how happy I am for you. I am so happy for you, Cara." She said as she hugged Cara hard, tears streaming down both of their faces. "And you." She said as she hugged Ben as well, causing him to nearly lose his grip on his pants.

"Alright, alright everyone let's calm down. Kahlan, now that we know that these two haven't been captured or killed, I say we leave them to finish what they started. Oh and don't worry about the wood, Cara, we'll get some for ourselves on the way back. It looks like you two have enough FIRE to last all night." Richard said raising his eyebrows in quick succession.

"Well, I would say that has sufficiently killed the mood, wouldn't you?" Ben asked turning to Cara.

"Dead and buried." Cara responded.

"We'll meet you back at camp." Ben said.


	20. Lord Rahl?

**Lord Rahl?**

They woke the next morning at the crack of dawn and set out for the city. Even though the city had been in sight since late in the afternoon the day before, they were still about half a day's ride away. Richard hadn't wanted to set up camp too close to the city for fear of being found by any local patrols. Still, despite all of his precautions, when Cara and Ben had disappeared he had feared the worst.

His head was a tangled mess of jumbled up thoughts. To be honest, he was still a bit shocked from the discovery he and Kahlan had made last night. He had known that there was something peculiar about the way both Ben and Cara had been acting, really since Ben had begun travelling with them, but especially since that night they had spent alone in the wilderness. He knew that something had changed between them that night, but, despite his best instincts, he hadn't allowed himself to even entertain the thought that they had fallen in love with each other. It was preposterous to even consider.

Perhaps their hate for each other had blinded him to the truth. After all, if it hadn't been for him intervening, those two would have come to blows if not killed each other on multiple occasions. Or at least he thought so… How long had they been pretending to hate each other anyway? Had it always been a front? No, it couldn't have been. He remembered the look in Ben's eyes the night he told them about his past. He remembered the tears that snaked down his cheek and dripped onto his chest. And, he most definitely remembered the hatred in Ben's eyes when he revealed of how the Mord'Sith had destroyed his family. That was real. Richard knew it. That night he could see in Ben's eyes a lust for vengeance, a desperate need to bring to justice all that had been instrumental in the breaking of his sisters and the destruction of his family, even though he had abandoned the hope for that justice long ago. He didn't know who or where she was, but he did know he certainly didn't want to be anywhere around the Mord'Sith that had destroyed Ben's family when he found her, that is, if she was still alive.

But, that hatred had been real, and because of it Ben had left them that night. Though, as he thought about it now, when he went to relieve Ben from his watch that night, he and Cara seemed to have had a fight just before he had arrived. Had that been it? Could that have been when Ben had realized that he was in love with the very thing that had taken everything from him? Was that really why he left? He didn't know, but he didn't think so. At least he didn't think that at that point in time Ben had made that connection. Ben left because he was angry, simple as that. Either way, he still found himself second guessing whether or not he had really needed to mediate between them. He wasn't sure when their affair had started, but he knew that it had reached its full climax that night in the woods.

He found himself staring at Ben and Cara as they rode ahead of he and Kahlan, Ben, who had put on his D'haran uniform for today, looking out the corner of his eyes, every now and then, to get a small glimpse of her, and Cara, now wearing her hair tucked behind her right ear to proudly display the flower Ben had picked for her, sneezing every now and then and smiling every time she caught him looking. It was amazing to think what one magical night could do.

His thoughts then strayed to Kahlan and how beautiful she had looked that night at the inn. How amazing that night had been for them, as well as Ben and Cara. Before they had discovered that Kahlan's power couldn't touch Richard, every night he would pray that the good spirits would watch over them. In the prayer he would begin by thanking them for bringing Kahlan into his life. He would pray that they would keep her safe in all that she did. That even in the direst of circumstances, they would place their hand of protection over her and see her through. That even though they couldn't be together, that they would love each other always, and that the spirits would help her find a mate that loved and cared for her, at least in part, the way he would if he could. That had all changed now. Sure, he still prayed and thanked the spirits for bringing Kahlan into his life. And, he still prayed for their protection over her. But now, in his prayers, he would thank them for the pure joy they had given him, not only in being able to love Kahlan, but now in being able to express that love. One night had changed everything.

And so, they rode on to the city, the same group that had set out from Cale's house all those days ago, but yet somehow a completely different one. That one night had changed so much.

There was one thing that it did not change though. The D'harans still had Aydindril. Edwards was still in control of the city and, if what Ben and Cara said about him was true, that didn't hold anything good for the people of Aydindril or Kahlan's sister Dennee. He still held one of the most strategically defensible cities in the Midlands with more than a thousand men and Richard and his group were but four, five if Zedd ever showed up. Yes, they were powerful warriors, wizards, and the Mother Confessor herself, but against a thousand that meant very little.

Ben had said that Lord Rahl was the magic against magic and the D'harans were the steel against steel. He needed to find some way to show them that he was the true Lord Rahl. He needed magic, but his Han had been taken by Nicci. And, even if she hadn't taken it, he didn't have any magic to speak of. He had the sword, but that wasn't his own magic. That magic belonged to the sword. He didn't think that would work. He knew, though, he needed the solution quickly. If he had had his way, they would have waited till he had a plan to confront the D'harans, but that was out of the question now. He had to save the city and its people before Edwards destroyed them.

As they reached the city, they were shocked to find the gates standing wide open with only three heavily armored D'harans guarding it, two on the ground on either side of the gate and one atop the wall above it. Clearly, Edwards was not worried about any type of siege or attack, and why should he be there wasn't an army that could rival his for miles. As they rode by them, the guard to the left of the gate gave Richard a slight smile and nodded his head at him. Richard didn't return the smile.

As they passed through the massive stone archway that was the entrance to the city, Richard reached deep down inside of him and found his calm. The world seemed to dim a bit, and he finally relaxed for the first time this morning. He was deep inside his Seeker's gaze. He could feel his instincts guiding him. He didn't yet know how to convince the D'harans that he was the true Lord Rahl, but he did know that he needed to follow his instincts. He was a Seeker. His intuitions were different than anyone else's. He needed to trust them. He barely noticed the city as its streets, alleys, inns, shops, temples, and palaces passed by. He did notice, however, that the streets weren't empty as he had expected them to be. He had figured that the people of the city would be under a house arrest enacted by the occupying forces, but it seemed that everything was business as usual. People roamed about in the streets. Merchants pedaled their wares at the top of their lungs, grabbing people as they walked by. Children were playing, running in and out of alleyways in pursuit of each other. One little boy tripped and fell right in front of Ben's horse causing him pull back hard on the reins to stop from trampling the boy. His horse snorted in protest, but Ben just smiled as the boy thanked him and continued on his way shouting after his playmates. In fact, nothing seemed out of place, except for the D'haran soldiers that were strategically placed throughout the city to keep the peace. Every time they passed one Richard could sense Kahlan's anger rising as she rode next to him with her hood draw up over her head. His anger would have as well except that he was clinging to the calm inside him.

They continued on through the city past thousands of people and dozens of armored guards, up a small hill and through another large portcullis into the diplomatic section of the city. Here there were no merchants, only the large white palaces of the various diplomats of the Midlands, and the occasional inn. As far as the eye could see large alabaster structures rose into the heavens each larger than the next, a field of jagged achromic spikes piercing the sky. Down the main street they were riding on, he could see the Confessor's Palace dwarfing all the others, a gleaming thunder head rising above the storm of the others to dominate the sky line. Despite the change in district, people still milled about in the streets, heading here and there not paying them any attention. Suddenly, Kahlan threw back her hood allowing her gorgeous black hair to fall away from her shoulders down to the middle of her back. With a collective gasp, everyone close to them in the streets fell to a knee and bowed their heads. As he watched from within himself, he could see a wave pass through the streets as those who were further away bowed upon receiving the news that the Mother Confessor had returned to Aydindril. He had forgotten what it was like to be with the Mother Confessor in her city. He watched as everyone as far as the eye could see cleared the streets and gently bowed. The D'haran guards who were more prevalent in this section of the city did not however. They just cast a steely gaze at the company of travelers as they passed down the city's main concourse.

Suddenly, he had it. He knew how he was to convince the D'harans he was the true Lord Rahl. Kahlan's display had given him an idea. If the D'harans needed him to demonstrate his magical abilities, than boy would he give them a show. He smiled to himself as Kahlan, who had now taken the lead, piloted them into the large black and white marble courtyard in front of the Confessor's Palace, and steered them down a street to the left. A few yards down the road he could see a large, brown inn, its dark color making it stand out in this district like a stain on the Mother Confessor's dress. Outside the inn a detachment of about fifty soldiers stood in neatly arranged formations, every single one on high alert.

As they approached, Cara and Ben took the lead back from Kahlan, and Richard reached into his pack, pulled out what he was looking for, and put it on. In front of the inn, with every soldier watching them, they dismounted, tied up their horses, and climbed the dozen or so steps to its ironbound door, Cara in the lead, Ben behind her, Kahlan next, and Richard in the rear.

Near the top, a young D'haran close to Richard's size decided he didn't think they should be allowed in. So, he stepped in Cara's way just as she was about to enter raising his hand out in front of him to indicate that they should stop.

"What business is this?" He asked with a sidelong glance at the rest of them.

"Lord Rahl to see General Edwards." Cara said jerking her head back over her shoulder toward Richard.

With a puzzled look the D'haran looked to his comrades on the other side of the door. They smiled and laughed.

"General Edwards is incredibly busy." The man said with a smirk.

"Make way for Lord Rahl you fool!" Ben said through gritted teeth as he moved forward to join Cara at the door.

"You will wait until –"the man began but Ben backhanded him and sent the man flying over the railing of the steps, hurdling to the ground below he landed with a thud. A collective shocked gasp rose from the battalion of soldiers on the ground. Each of them placing their hands to their swords but unwilling to draw it on the man who may be the true Lord Rahl.

"Now just wait one second there –"one of the men on the other side of the door began as he tried to grab Ben by the arm only to be met with an agiel to his forehead that crumpled him to the ground.

"Lord Rahl will see General Edwards! Now!" Cara said as she looked at the three men remaining at the door and kicked the man wallowing in agony down the steps. Richard and Kahlan had to jump to avoid him tumbling past them. Quickly the other three unbolted the door and opened it for them. Richard cringed. This already wasn't going very well.

Inside, having heard the commotion outside, a group of a dozen or so soldiers came running down the dim lamp-lit hall to confront them. The sight of Cara in her red leather stopped them.

"General Edwards." Ben said.

"What is this?" A tall burly man with long wavy black hair and a thick beard said as he stepped forward.

"Lord Rahl to see General Edwards. Where is he?" Ben asked.

With a suspicious look at them the man said, "What is this all about?" As he took an aggressive step forward. Cara jammed her agiel into the side of his neck causing him to scream in anguish and collapse to the floor.

"You dare ask questions of Lord Rahl. You are meant to answer questions, not ask them." She said as she held the agiel to his neck. "Now, where is General Edwards?"

In his pain all the man could manage was, "Door… end… hall!"

"Thank you." Cara said. "Finally someone showing Lord Rahl the proper respect, unlike the rest of you." She said pointing her agiel at the other men in the hall. "Kneel." She screamed pointing at the floor.

With wide eyed horror at the sight of the man writing in pain on the floor, they all took a knee, bowed their heads, and brought their right fists to their chests. Richard cast a sideways glance at the man on the floor as he passed him. He didn't feel any pity him. Cara had used her agiel on him, but she hadn't used it to kill. He would recover, if maybe a little wiser for the wear.

They pushed passed the men kneeling in the hall and at the end of it Cara kicked in the large door to the central, high-ceilinged hall that had been stripped of all decoration. Inside the room were three ranks of D'haran soldiers all with swords and battle axes in hand ready for any trouble these intruders might bring. On the far side of the room a long table had been set up, behind which sat four rather harsh looking men, the neatly laid out scars on their bare biceps indicating their rank, and behind them, in front of a large wall of unadorned windows, stood three Mord'Sith. Outside the window Richard could see the spires of the Confessor's Palace rising in front of the mountain looming behind it, and on the mountain, sticking right out of its face, he could see the fortress that was the Wizard's Keep.

Behind the table, the man to the left of center, with short hair and a curly beard the color of rust, folded his muscular arms showing more scars than any of the others and drew his brow down in disapproval as he leaned his chair back on to two legs.

"We are here to see General Edwards." Cara announced.

The captain of the guards stepped forward reaching for Cara, "You will –" he began as Ben grabbed his arm and twisted it back over the man's own shoulder. Once in that position, Ben grabbed the man by the throat and powerfully lifted him off the floor.

"If you wish to die, then please continue." Ben said menacingly.

The man with the red beard let his chair thump back to the ground and exhaled to show his displeasure.

"Let them through!" He said as he folded his hands and leaned his nose against his steepled fingers. Ben released the man, who began gasping for air on the floor.

With cold confidence the man behind the table stared at them. "Well, what's your business?" He asked.

"You are Edwards?" Cara asked as she approached the table.

"Yes. Now state your business." He said.

"General, we bring you news that the true Lord Rahl has taken his place as the leader of D'hara. We come not only to tell you of this momentous occasion, but to demand your allegiance to our true leader, and that you immediately remove your troops from this city and return to the People's Palace." Cara said with her chest puffed out in pride as whispers of her message echoed through the ranks of D'harans in the room.

"Is that so?" General Edwards said with a chuckle as he leaned his chair back on two legs again. "And it took all of you to deliver this message?"

Cara leaned forward and slammed her hands down on the table. "General, we not only bring you this message. We bring you Lord Rahl himself!"

Edwards let his chair slam back down and brought his face to within inches of Cara's.

"And where is this Lord Rahl you speak of?" Edwards said as he stood and held his hands up in confusion.

"Don't be a fool," Cara said, "he stands before you now."

Edwards looked past her at the group of strangers standing in front of him and then cast a condemning look back to Cara.

"Where?" Edwards said as he began to make his way around the table.

"Don't be a foo—" Cara began but cut herself short when she turned around and didn't see Richard. At first, confusion overwhelmed her, but then a small smile returned to her face. "He stands right there before you." She said confidently as Ben returned her smile and Kahlan still looked confused.

"All I see is a rebel Mord'Sith, what I must assume is the Mother Confessor, although I have heard tales of her beauty and I must admit I'm a little disappointed, and you soldier." He said pointing at Ben. "That looks like Dragon Corp armor, right?"

"That's correct general. I was captain of the seventh battalion under Commander Drake." Ben said.

"Drake, huh? He was a good soldier. I'm sure you were too son. How many battles did you fight?"

"Thousands." Ben replied.

"Really? Thousands? And you think that qualifies you to be Lord Rahl!?" He screamed in Ben's ear. "And you went along with him, what kind of freak show is this?" He said pointing an accusatory finger at Cara.

"You have the nerve to call yourself Mord'Sith?" Said the tall, dark skinned Mord'Sith that stood in the center behind the table.

Cara only gave her a passing glance as she said to the General, "Don't be foolish. This man isn't Lord Rahl, nor does he claim to be." With that Ben smiled and chuckled in Edwards face. "Your leader, the master of D'hara, the champion of the free people, the true Lord Rahl is right here." Cara said gesturing toward the empty air next to Kahlan.

The General rubbed his eyes in frustration.

"I don't know what type of game this is, but my patience is starting to run thin and…"

With that, Richard flung the Mriswith cape, which had kept him invisible this whole time, off of him and appeared out of thin air. Worried whispers spread throughout the ranks of soldiers as they all took a cautionary step back.

"I am Lord Rahl, the master of D'hara. The true Lord Rahl, your ruler." Richard proclaimed proudly, if not a little awkwardly.

There was a moment of silence as everyone tried to pick their jaws up off the floor, and then Edwards burst out into laughter.

"You know, I've seen some pretty bad tricks in my day, boy, but this one takes the cake. Did you really expect that to impress me? I'm mean really, what's next, are you going to show me how you can break your thumb in two? Here look I can do it too. I can make this mug levitate." He said as he stuck his thumb through the handle of the mug lifting it as he waved his other hand around in the air.

The entire room burst out into laughter, even the Mord'Sith behind the table smiled a bit as Edwards hurled the mug at Richard and sending it flying past his head.

"Really, boy, you come in here with a rebel Mord'Sith, a deserter, that's right Captain Meiffert I know who you are," he said looking menacingly at Ben, "and the Mother Confessor and expect to impress me with a cheap parlor trick. Don't insult my integrity, and more over don't insult my intelligence. I know who you are boy." He said as he turned to the soldiers. "This man, who would claim to be your ruler, is the Seeker, the very man who killed the last Lord Rahl. And now he comes to claim his throne." More shocked whispers spread throughout the ranks and the Mord'Sith behind the table drew their agiels from their holsters as Ben drew his sword, Cara her agiels and Kahlan her daggers. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." Edwards said through gritted teeth. "Actually, on second thought, I've got enough good reasons to kill you that one good reason not to shouldn't make a difference. Men!" He screamed. "Kill the—"

Just as he was about to deliver the order, a loud crash broke the gooey tension as ribbons of glass rained down upon all of them. All four of them shielded their eyes from the spiky downpour and Richard drew his sword, its metallic ring announcing its presence. Suddenly, Richard felt something wet and warm on his arm. He looked down and saw that it was blood. Regaining his bearings after shielding his eyes from the glass, he looked up only to see General Edwards fall to the ground grasping his intestines as they spilled from his torn midsection.

Screams reverberated through the air. The room was a tumult of confusion and fear and man after man was torn asunder by some unseen foe. To his left he heard a man scream in pain and looked to see him grasping his stomach as he fell forward and ran into an invisible wall in the air. He leaned on it for a few seconds only to have it move out from under him sending him slinking to the floor.

Richard turned this way and that unable to make any sense of what was happening. Then suddenly he was acutely aware of something lurking behind him. He glanced out of the corner of his eye but couldn't see anything. However, he knew it was there. Making sure not to give any indication that he knew of its presence, he quickly took a step to the left and in one fluid motion whirled his blade around behind as he jumped and spun in a circle. The blade met something in its arc, and the wet sound of a knife chopping through a watermelon hung in the air, as blood sprayed from the end of his sword onto the wall on the far side of the room. In astonishment he watched as a Mriswith collapsed at his feet.

"Lord Rahl?" Said a short yet shapely Mord'Sith behind the table as she looked at him in confusion while turning this way and that trying to protect herself from any incoming attack.

"Lord Rahl?" The tall dark skinned one and the other tall black haired Mord'Sith joined in.

"To me! Now!" Richard screamed. In obedience, they, all three of them, vaulted over the table and with Cara, Ben, Kahlan, and Richard formed a defensive circle.

Men were still screaming everywhere in the room, blood was still flying, and the Mriswith were still on the prowl.

"Keep an eye out. They're invisible." Richard screamed.

"If they're invisible what good will keeping an eye out do?" Cara asked.

"You know what I –" Just then Richard sensed another Mriswith approaching from the left. The problem was Ben was in between him and the Mriswith.

"Ben switch with me!" He screamed.

"How do—"

"No time just do it!" Richard roared as Ben took a step backwards and ducked while Richard jumped into the air, rolled over Ben's back, and then sent his blade slashing through the air. It met something and once again blood and guts were sent hurtling through the atmosphere as another Mriswith collapsed to the floor.

Panting, Richard returned to the circle. Looking around he realized that all the men in the room were dead, except for one of the generals behind the table who had backed himself into a corner. Puddles of blood pooled in low places on the floor and dripped through the cracks in the wood. He knew there was still another Mriswith out there though. He just didn't know where.

"There is still another one out there." He shouted.

"Where?" The other six shouted back in unison.

"I don't know. Just keep an eye –" He started, but as he did he heard the sickening sound of metal piercing flesh. The dark skinned Mord'Sith grunted in pain, and then he watched in horror as she was lifted off the ground by unseen hands.

Pivoting on his right foot, Richard planted with his left and slid underneath her, slashing his sword as he did. Blood cascaded down upon him and both the Mord'Sith and the Mriswith fell. Crawling over to her he lifted the Mord'Sith's head and placed in his lap as he sat panting on the floor.

"Is that all of them?" Ben asked.

"I think so." Richard answered. "I don't sense anymore."

Replacing their weapons they all huddled around Richard and the dead Mord'Sith in his arms, all except the D'haran general who was still cowering in the corner.

"What was her name?" Richard said as he stroked the black hair away from the woman's chocolate face.

"Hally." The short, shapely Mord'Sith replied.

"She will always be remembered for her service and bravery in defending Lord Rahl. So help me, I intend to see every single one of you die in your bed toothless and old!" Richard screamed at the other Mord'Sith.

"Know that she died doing what she lived to do, Lord Rahl." Said the tall black haired Mord'Sith.

"Thank you." He said as he laid her head back down and got to his feet, still breathing hard.

From across the room, the general sheathed his sword and marched over to Richard. Banging his fist to his chest he knelt and chanted only once.

"_Master Rahl guide us! _

_Master Rahl teach us!_

_Master Rahl protect us!_

_In your light we thrive!_

_In your mercy we are sheltered!_

_In your wisdom we are humbled!_

_We live only to serve you!_

_Our lives are yours!"_

Rising, he once again clasped his fist to his heart.

"Lord Rahl forgive me for my insolence. I didn't recognize you."

"None of us did, Lord Rahl, please forgive us." Said the tall Mord'Sith.

"Once you've completed the devotion." Richard replied.

They all looked at him confused.

"Lord Rahl," Cara interjected, "the general has already recited it once. Away from the People's Palace that is the customary length of devotion and these sisters have defended you with their lives."

"All the same Cara, I want a full devotion. After today we may go back to tradition, but this woman gave her life in protecting me, the least they can do is recite a devotion three times."

Despite their misgivings, the General and the two Mord'Sith knelt, recited the devotion three times, and then got back to their feet.

"Now, general, we have some business to discuss." Richard said crossing his arms.

"Yes Lord Rahl." The general replied.

"When you first arrived this city was under the authority of a Confessor was it not?"

"It was Lord Rahl."

"Good. Now choose your answer very carefully to this next question general…. Where is she?"

"In the dungeons, Lord Rahl."

"The dungeons!" Kahlan screamed. "General, you will have me taken to her at once."

The general looked confused. With a puzzled look he glanced at Richard.

"You'd better do what she says, General." Richard said with a smirk.

"Yes, Lord Rahl. I'm sorry, it's just D'harans don't take orders from the Mother Confessor. After all she is our enemy."

"Well, you'd better get used to taking orders from her general, because she not only isn't your enemy anymore, but I plan to make her my wife uniting D'hara and the Midlands. So, think of it as doing a favor for your future queen."

"Yes, Lord Rahl." He said as he clasped his fists to his chest once more and gestured to the two D'haran soldiers that had just entered the room with disbelief etched upon their faces. "Take the Mother Confessor to the dungeons."

"Yes sir!" They said as they began to seize Kahlan.

"No, no you idiots!" He shrieked. "Take her to free the other Confessor."

The two men exchanged confused glances.

"Just do it! It is a direct order from Lord Rahl!" The general screamed.

With great reluctance the men unhanded Kahlan and let her lead them out of the room.

"Is there anything else I can do for you Lord Rahl?" The general asked.

"Yes, a few days back an old man should have come to the city."

"You mean the wizard?" Asked the general.

"Yes." Richard said surprised. "What happened to him?"

"We found him lurking around the business district asking too many questions. Our guards tried to capture him but he escaped and shut himself up in that fortress up on the mountain. The Mord'Sith tried to go in there to capture him but…"

"But what?" Richard prodded.

"But the barriers up there are too strong for us to penetrate, Lord Rahl." Answered the voluptuous Mord'Sith.

"Barriers?"

"Yes, magical barriers, Lord Rahl."

"Interesting." Richard said. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Berdine, Lord Rahl. This is Raina." She said indicating the tall Mord'Sith next to her. "And that is General Traebert." She said pointing to the general as he once more banged his fist against his chest.

"Very well, Berdine. You, Raina, Cara and I are going to go get Zedd out of that dusty old keep, while General Traebert and General Meiffert here try and sort out why the Mriswith attacked us."

"General?" Ben said in confusion.

"I think you've more than earned it." Richard said patting Ben on the shoulder as he started out of the room. "Oh and make sure that Hally's body is prepared for her burial." He called back over his shoulder as he exited through the door.

"I will Rich—I mean Lord Rahl." Ben said a smile from ear to ear.

As they fell in line, Richard heard Berdine say to Cara.

"I've never known a Lord Rahl to care so much about a lost Mord'Sith, or heard of one who fights steel against steel with us while also fighting magic against magic."

"Oh you'll find that this Lord Rahl is quite different than any Lord Rahl ever." Cara said with a smile.

Richard had to smile as well.

"Where is she?" Kahlan asked over her shoulder as she marched the two men down the dark smelly corridors of the dungeons under the Confessor's Palace.

"Just up ahead here, Mother Confessor, down this hall, to the left, and three doors down." One of the men said from behind her and then whispered something to the man next to him.

They were far down in the dungeons. Only the worst criminals were housed down here. She deftly jumped over a small puddle on the floor in front of her, fearing that it might be something other than water down in this hellhole. The men behind her just trudged right through it.

"Why did you place her down here? She may be your enemy, but she is a diplomat. She should have been housed in her own quarters, under surveillance."

The men didn't answer they just whispered once more to each other.

She turned the corner and marched, if not ran, down the hall to the third door. Opening the door and stepping though into the dark room, she was surprised to find that it was not a common jail cell. On the other side of the door was a massive room with a gigantic hole in the middle of it, twenty feet deep and at least fifteen across. Taking a torch from off the wall by the door she held it high and cast the light into the hole hoping to catch the vision of her sister. All she saw were large, dirty, decrepit men staring back at her. She looked harder but couldn't see Dennee.

"What is the meaning of this?" She called back over her shoulder, but as she did she felt a boot squarely meet the small of her back sending her hurtling through the air into the pit. She hit the ground with a thud and shakily pushed herself back up to her feet. Her head was swimming as she watched the torch burn out next to her and looked back up to where she had once been.

She saw one of the men peak over the side of the pit and smile.

"Do you know what they call this place Mother Confessor? It's called an oubliette. That means 'a place of forgetting'. Everyone down there with you has been thrown down there because society would much rather forget them. Though I doubt you'll forget anything about this place. If you ever manage to get out, that is. Have fun. Make some new friends. Even though the Mriswith may not have killed you and your friends, I'm sure our mistress will be happy to learn that we at least managed to get rid of you."

He smiled once more and then disappeared behind the edge of the pit. Moments later she heard the door slam shut. Her world was plunged into darkness. She could hear the labored breathing of the men in the pit with her. When she had looked before there had to have been at least twelve. Her heart started pounding, her mind started racing. Panic set in.


	21. Ripe

**Ripe**

Seh'ra laughed, pushing a stray strand of hair away from her mouth as she watched the imp stumble and fall once more. From where she was seated, on a large dais at the front of this immense room, she could see the beads of sweat on his bald head, each one an aqueous mirror reflecting back at her. On a long black chain hung from the center of the massive dome above them, a great bronze chandelier bathed the room in warm light. She watched as its rays glinted back at her in each globule on the dwarf's head. Slowly, as he tried to push himself back up, in spite of the chains, a few pellets of sweat trickled down onto his face. One ran into his eye. He closed it in defiance of the stinging pain it caused. Another dribbled down his jaw to his temple, settling just in front of his ear. The last drop oozed down his forehead, right between his eyes, and seeped down to the end of his horrid, crooked nose.

She smiled to herself. His nose hadn't been crooked when she had started with him. But, by the time she had broken him; the nose hadn't been the only thing of his she'd twisted, contorted, and deformed.

As she watched, the lonely liquid blob continued its downward trajectory, extending itself below his monstrous snout just before snapping free of its carnal prison and flying through the air. As it soared, it twisted and turned over on itself, reflecting out a rainbow of colors for a split second before it was destroyed on the hard white marble floor. She could see that the floor was covered with the aftermath of many other similar death-falls, a soggy graveyard. It was rapturous to think that such beauty could come from such pain. She smiled again.

Finally Steven managed, with great difficulty, to push himself back up to his feet and begin his song and dance number again. As he sang and hopped about, his chains made the most rhapsodic sound, as the ones attached to his wrist jangled from side to side and the ones attached to his anklets moved from carpet to marble and back to carpet again. It was exhilarating to her. Her breath came in short gasps as she struggled to keep it. Her toes curled inside her boots as she fought not to stop the feeling rising inside of her, but to make it last longer. With a big gasp, as she listened to the enchanting melody Steven's chains were making, she let out the most sincere and hearty bellow of a laugh she ever had as she rode her delectation over the edge and back down to earth. She came down gasping for air giggling to herself as Steven continued to dance.

She wasn't this excited because she had broken the dandiprat or that she could force him to sing and dance for her anytime she wanted. No. She knew that her victory was close at hand. Soon her slaves would return with the good news. The Seeker, the Mother Confessor, that disgusting traitor of a Mord'Sith Cara, and most importantly her revolting brother were dead. She knew it. She could taste it. She could feel it deep within her. There was no way they could have escaped this time. The Mriswith were ruthless and cunning, not to mention invisible when they wanted to be. There was no way that they could have eluded their death this time. She floated in the pure bliss that was the completion of her revenge. Nearly thirty years in the making it felt like the weight of the world was finally off her shoulders. It was her victory song Steven's chains were playing.

She listened even more intently as the captive melody floated through the air filling the rotunda and surrounded her, lifting her once again to a precipice. Through hazy, euphoric eyes, she stole a glance to her left at the broken shell of a man standing at her side, ready to defend and serve her no matter the cost. When she mutilated this man's soul nearly two weeks ago he had been not only a general in the Blood of the Fold but a top ranking one. Thousands upon thousands of battle hardened men, men born and raised to fight, obeyed his orders or paid dearly for it. How far the mighty can fall just from their own evil desires for a firm pair of breasts and a shapely set of hips, she thought. In so many ways he disgusted her, but she couldn't ignore the fact that in raping his mind she had come to the true turning point in her exacting her revenge. So much had changed since that magical night.

Having broken the general, her plan had been to also destroy a few of his closest officers thus creating the beginning of her new malevolent vehicle of Ben's destruction, but she had gotten so much more. The Fold, it turned out, was in league with the Old World or the Imperial Order as they were now calling themselves. And now, due to a catastrophic loss they had suffered at their hands, they now saw the Seeker and his companions as their main foes in the coming struggle. However, despite how incredible this news was to her, it got even more amazing the night she and general returned to the Fold.

Nestled in a valley surrounded on all sides by the Rand'Shada Mountains, the Fold was not large enough for the number of people living in it. As a result, the entire valley was one large city, or rather what had been three large cities that over the years had melted together into one giant metropolis. Cut off from the outside world, the people grew to be fiercely independent, hating any influence from beyond their borders. A quality which was only reinforced when, years ago, the Council of Aydindril invaded. For months the two sides struggled, the superior fighting force of Aydindril stymied due to the difficult terrain. But, eventually, the powerful wizards of Aydindril prevailed. Claiming the purely altruistic goal of protecting the people of the Fold from the dangers of the outside world and uniting the entire Midlands under one banner, the Council members declared the Fold to now be a friend and territory of the Midlands. But, the people knew the truth. All that the Midlanders wanted was power, as much as they could get.

In the aftermath of the fighting, a wizard named Jarl was placed in charge of the Fold. A dictator and a cad, he became drunk with his power, turning the people into little more than slaves to his insane and demanding whims. For nearly two hundred years they labored under his oppressive rule, as he was granted unnatural long life from the black arts he practiced. All women were forced to become members of his harem and the men were forced to work nonstop, building monuments and statues to him as their families were torn asunder by this lecherous rake. The most impressive structure they built was the sprawling and vast Spired Palace. Built directly into the mountain side, its impressive and beautiful towers rose from the stone to rival the mountain peaks themselves as a reminder to the people of Jarl's absolute and complete power over them.

Finally, in the desperation that centuries of oppression bring, the people rebelled and overthrew the depraved tyrant. Blood flowed like a river down the steps to the palace as many lives were lost but their freedom was won. The monuments and statues were torn down in defiance of the beastly Midlands, but the palace remained as it was; only the name was changed to remind everyone of the terrible events of that day. A gorgeous yet perverse keepsake of the terrible troubles both foreigners and magic could bring, the Blood Palace remained.

The Blood of the Fold, as they came to call themselves, became a religious militaristic state, both protected by and ruled by their military, the Blood Palace becoming the new seat of this new government dedicated to protecting the Blood and ridding the world of all magic. It was to this sanguinary abomination that her general led her.

She had retired to the general's bed chambers to get some much needed rest while he reported back in. But, just as she was about to drift off to a fitful sleep, the general came bursting through the door and told her that all the officers were called to a meeting to receive their new marching orders from an emissary of the Imperial Order. Through long corridors and dark stairways she followed him into the bowels of the huge building she now found herself in. Then finally after a long trek to the depths of the palace and the mountain, they came to a large circular room. Around the outside of the room the walls were pocked with archways that led to small alcoves only a foot or so deep, and seated prominently in the center of the room, separated off by a low wall, was a large well. Next to the well a large fire burned from a small rectangular hearth set on a pedestal. As the officers filed in passed her and the general, they gave her sideways glances, confused as to the reason why this strange woman was at their officer's meeting. Then suddenly the fire in the hearth took on a green hue and rose to twice the height at which it had originally been burning, the flames licking the ceiling of the rather large room. Then it folded back on itself and spun around in a quick pirouette shrinking back to its original size leaving in its place, above the now lowered flames, a ghostly figure in a dark red robe with its back to her.

Murmurs crept through the crowd of shocked officers as a few more officers filed in past her, a few even bumping into her in their haste to see this strange sight, none of them distracted any longer by her presence. The figure above the flames slowly turned and shock overwhelmed her. She couldn't believe her eyes. He was dead. She knew he was dead. She had to be imagining things. In wide-eyed wonder she watched as the figure turned a slow circle taking in his surroundings and with icy confidence said,

"Good evening, officers." An eerie silence settled over the room as the figure once more turned and said, "I trust everyone is here."

That was his voice. She was sure of it.

"Gentlemen, I've called you here because the Emperor is as greatly distressed about the recent set back regarding the advanced raiding force, as I'm sure you all are. Fifty thousand men killed, many of them friends and family of yours. A horrible tragedy." The figure turned once more so that she could see only his silhouette. "Emperor Jagang will not stand for this outrage. The Seeker and his companions, who for more than a year have used their magic to so brutally impose their wills on others, must be stopped."

A cheer rose from the ring of officers as the ghostly figure slowly reached his left hand up and stroked his bottom lip.

"Unfortunately, the Imperial Order's force is far removed from the Midlands. We were not anticipating such a devastating set back and so held our main force on the border between D'hara and the Old World awaiting the report from the scouting force, a report that will never come now I'm afraid. After hearing of the calamity that occurred outside of Ebinnisia, the Emperor immediately mobilized that monstrous force but it still lays several weeks if not months away from where our enemy hides behind the walls of Aydindril. It is for that reason that I come to you tonight. The Seeker and his companions must be forced to pay for what they have done. You are to mobilize your entire force and march on Aydindril. You are to pay them back for what they did to not only your friends and family, but for what they have also done to the entire world by standing against us and our goals."

A gasp rose from the circle of men as something inside the well in the center of the room began to stir.

"You mean to tell me that you expect us to assume all the risk in this endeavor?" Asked a young officer on the opposite side of the room from where Seh'ra stood. "Thousands upon thousands of men died at the hands of these monsters in the course of one night. And, now you ask us to march against them as they hold one of the most impenetrable cities in the known world. That's suicide."

The figure turned to face the officer and smiled coolie.

"I am not asking nor is the Emperor. You are _ordered_ to take the city by force and kill the Seeker and his rabble no matter the cost. The evil that is magic must be destroyed." The shade above the flames replied. "And you will not be doing this on your own. Sister Nicci has already arranged for you to be joined momentarily by several of our most savage and brutal warriors."

"How can they join us when you yourself admit that your main force is weeks aw—" the officer began, but just as he was about to complete his sentence a silver stream shot straight up out of the well in the center of the room. In shock the officers ringing the room took several steps back, some trying to shield themselves behind the archways protecting the alcoves. In a place like this where magic was feared and demonized it was already pushing the limits of these men to be conversing with the ghostly figure above the flames. This new development was too much. Many of them looked as if they were about to soil themselves.

As they all watched, the stream of silvery liquid hung in the air, almost taking on the appearance of metal but in liquid form, as it snaked its way into the air above the well. Then suddenly, from out of the midst of the column of fluid, several dark forms were spit out onto the floor next to the well. In terror the officers tried to move back further but found the wall of the large room preventing them from retreating from this new unnatural horror.

Coughing and sputtering, vomiting up some of the silvery fluid on to the floor in front of them, the creatures rose to their full height. Their scaly yellowish heads with a row of spiky protrusions running along the middle of them were horrid to look upon. As one turned and looked at Seh'ra, through black slits in green eyes, she saw, as it smiled the most grotesque smile she had ever seen, its rows of razor sharp teeth concealed only partially by grey lips. Out of the long black cloak it wore fiendish yellow hands extended, and in the right one it held a strange three bladed knife that look designed almost as an extension of the horrible claws that it already possessed on the end of its hideous digits. With a reptilian quality it jerked its head back and forth taking in its new surroundings as its freakish colleagues did the same. Seh'ra didn't count them, but she guessed there had to be at least seventy five of them in all.

Suddenly, at the end of the silver stream sticking out of the well, a face appeared in the liquid, a woman's face. In astonished wonder Seh'ra watched as the serpentine stream wheeled about and stopped with the face directly in front of one of the creatures.

"I hope you enjoyed travelling with me." It said in the most bewitching female voice she had ever heard. "I hope we can do it again sometime." It finished and then disappeared back into the well as the creature it had been addressing hissed back in response.

"Gentlemen, say hello to the Mriswith, relentless and skillful killers. A gift from Emperor Jagang." Said a new apparition of a beautiful blonde woman dressed in a sheer black gown joining the former figure above the flames. With the introduction the creatures from the Old World let out a horrible, ear-piercing shriek causing all the men in the room to cover their ears.

"I think you will find them most useful in the upcoming battle," the woman continued, "besides being particularly savage in battle they have the ability to not be seen when they don't want to be." She said and then turning to one of the Mriswith she said, "Show them."

With that the Mriswith brought the hood of his cloak over his head and faded from existence. The officers gasped again. Then a few moments later the creature threw his hood back to reveal himself again.

"As Sister Nicci has so eloquently demonstrated, these warriors will be invaluable asset to you." Said the figure in the red robes.

"Wait a minute," the young officer interposed again, "I don't think I have to tell you how uncomfortable it makes me, and I'm sure the rest of the officers here, feel to be using creatures of magic to defeat magic, but even so, I still don't see why we have to invade Aydindril now. Why don't we wait until at least a smaller more mobile section of your main force can join us and help in the siege?"

With a steely look on her face Sister Nicci turned to the young man and with fire in her eyes said, "You will invade Aydindril now because you are ordered to do so by Emperor Jagang himself. You will do it now or suffer the consequences."

"What consequences? From where I sit you, your army, and your Emperor are a world away. What consequences could we possibly suffer?" The young man spat back at her.

"I think what my young colleague is trying to say is, isn't there a better more strategically sound course of action here than simple brute force. We've heard stories up here that the Emperor can invade people's minds and control their actions are they true?" Asked a tall officer with a bald head and a scar where his left ear should have been.

"Yes they are." Replied Sister Nicci.

"Well then why doesn't the Emperor simply do that? According to our scouts the city of Aydindril has been taken by D'harans. They can't have much love for the Seeker to begin with, why doesn't he just possess one of them and have the D'harans kill the Seeker? No marching, no mess, no casualties on our side and most importantly, no need to try and lay siege to one of the most strategically defensible cities in all the territories."

"Unfortunately all attempts the Emperor has made to possess one of the D'harans have proved futile." Replied the ghostly figure.

"Why?" asked the earless officer.

"We're not exactly sure." Said Sister Nicci. "But, the D'harans are out of the question. He could possess one of the town's folk, but they don't possess any power to order each other around, and, no doubt, the Seeker will be able to defend himself against them."

"This is ridiculous!" Screamed the young officer now incensed. "You expect us to assume all the risk while this Emperor of yours reaps all the benefits of our hard work and lost lives."

A murmur of agreement spread through the crowd.

"We aren't your pawns to be mistreated and used in whatever way this despot thousands of miles away sees fit!" He continued.

A cheer of approval came from the surrounding officers. The Mriswith bared their teeth menacingly and the two figures above the flames looked about at the officers as they realized they were losing them.

"You would be wise not to underestimate the reach of the Emperor." Advised Sister Nicci. "I can assure you he is watching."

"Watching!? Ha! He has no power here bitch and neither do you. You can warn us all you want about consequences but empty threats mean nothing to us. We are the Blood. We are strong. And we most definitely don't take orders from cowards befouled by magic from worlds away. You and can tell this Emperor of yours that the Fold is no longer his to—"Suddenly the young man's eyes went wide in horror. He froze his mouth still trying to form the words he was going to say moments before. Then, without warning, he let out the most horrible blood curdling scream as he grabbed either side of his head and fell to the floor rolling around in agonizing pain. The officers around him spread out in the fear that just touching him might cause them to suffer from whatever it was he was afflicted by.

"No! Get out of my head!" He screamed as he rolled around in agony. And then, to everyone's horror, they watched as he got to his knees and began repeatedly banging his head against the hard stone floor. Over and over and over again, he slammed his head into the unforgiving rock, leaving a horrible blood stain on the masonry. Then, as he brought his head down one last time, the room was filled with the most sickening and ungodly crack as the young officer's skull burst and brains and blood flowed out onto the stone floor. Limply his body collapsed.

"I told you he was watching." Chided Sister Nicci as she looked at the abominable scene.

In stunned silence the officers absorbed her words.

"Now, if there are no other foolish objections, I suggest you get about preparing for the attack." Said the figure in the red robes.

"With all due respect Master Rahl, I feel there may be a better way to approach this." She said as she moved to the center of the room, took a knee in front of the rectangular hearth, bowed her head, and placed her right fist to her chest.

"Sister Seh'ra." The ghostly figure of Darken Rahl oozed as he smiled from ear to ear. "It has been a long time."

"Too long Lord Rahl. I thought you were dead."

"Oh I was, but that is a tale for another time what is this better way you speak of?" He asked.

"Well, forgive me for being so bold, but while I doubt the Seeker could hold the city, I do think it a waste of resources to send an entire army to take the city just to kill the Seeker and his friends."

"Then what do you propose Sister Seh'ra?" Darken Rahl asked.

"Guerilla tactics." She said as she looked one of the Mriswith in the eye. In response the vile creature let out a low hiss as it smiled that monstrous smile.

That had been that. By Lord Rahl's order she had been placed in charge, something that many of the officer's didn't appreciate or respect. However, the display the Emperor had just put on quelled any inkling they might have had about going against what his emissary commanded. Lord Rahl had also agreed that it would be better to send a small band of cloaked Mriswith into the city to dispatch the Seeker and his comrades, thus leaving the entirety of the Blood of the Fold's army at the Emperor's disposal in the upcoming war. Now all she needed was to hear the news that the Seeker, Mother Confessor, Cara, and Ben were dead and her revenge would be complete.

Steven fell once more stepping on one of his leg irons on the marble floor causing it to slide out from underneath him. As he slid, he left a long smear of sweat across the black and white tiles. She laughed again as the clangorous melody of his chains renewed once more when he got back to his feet and continued to hop about. She could feel elation rising inside of her again. She shuddered ever so slightly as it built. Ever higher and higher it took her until she was at the very peak. Then, just as she was about to crest it and luge her way back down again, the huge green doors on the other side of the gigantic room burst open as two young soldiers quickly strode into the room.

She hung there on the edge of exhilaration as the two men approached the dais and knelt before her. She smiled wide. She recognized these two young men. The first two members of the general's battalion she had broken after that fateful night in the cellar of this stone and mortar abomination. She had sent them along with the Mriswith to ensure that the deed was carried out. And now here they were before her. Her revenge was finally complete. The spirit of her sister who had been smiling down upon her for these past few weeks could finally be at peace.

The men knelt there in reverent silence as she lifted her nose to the sky. Basking in the glory of this moment, she drew in a deep breath. Smiling to herself she closed her eyes. Floating so close to heaven she could almost see it. Behind her eyelids the world was brilliant light. Not just magnificent white light, but light of all colors intermingling and combining to form the most ravishing and thrilling spectacle she had ever seen, a kaleidoscope of culmination. She felt like her mind was electric. Her whole body tingled as she looked and saw out of the amalgamation of colors two entrancing green eyes. _ It's finally over Aimee._ She prayed._ We have finally gotten him. The horrid creature that has haunted my dreams and your eternal rest is finally gone. He is dead. Now be at peace._ Vengeance was finally hers.

With tears of joy welling up, she opened her eyes and addressed the men.

"What news my pets?" She asked having to bite her lip to control the emotion in her voice. Steven's victory song playing in the background only adding to the gravity of the moment.

"Mistress, please forgive us, we bring you bad news." Said the man to her right, never lifting his eyes from the floor in front of him.

"What?" She said in bewilderment as it felt like the floor dropped out from under her.

"The Seeker lives." He said.

In shocked disbelief she asked, "And the others?"

"They live as well Mistress. I am sorry." Replied the man, visibly shaking.

"How?" Was all she could manage past the lump building in her throat, as Steven's chains started to irritate her.

"We're not sure, Mistress. We had to disguise ourselves as D'harans so we were not able to be in the room when the Mriswith attacked or else they would have killed us as well, but somehow the Seeker killed them all and not one of his comrades even suffered an injury."

"You disappoint me greatly, pet." She said icily as her tears turned from joy to pain and started to snake their way down her face. She no longer hovered near elation as she crested the summit she had been riding not gliding but plummeting back down to earth. Why did everything have to be so hard? More tears fell as she slammed solidly back down to her horrible reality.

"I'm sorry, Mistress there is no way we could have known they would survive and once we realized they did, it would have been suicide to attempt to kill them ourselves. And it gets worse." The man said.

"What?" She said in pain.

"Mistress, the Seeker has somehow won the D'harans over to his side. They are no longer enemies but allies. In fact, they are calling him Lord Rahl now. One of the Mord'Sith that had been with the company of D'haran soldiers even died defending him in the attack." Replied the soldier

Her anger was now taking hold. Her mind was racing and the cacophony Steven was making in the background wasn't helping her think in the least bit.

"So what you're telling me is, that not only have you managed to fail me in killing the Seeker and his disgusting little sidekicks, but that he has also won over the entire D'haran force occupying the city to his side? And so help me if you don't stop that horrible racket back there I'm going to chop off every single limb and make you eat it. " She screamed at Steven.

Immediately he stopped and the men before her sat in terrified silence.

"Well!?" She screamed.

"Yes, Mistress." Came the reply from the man as he recoiled in fear of expectant pain.

"So, you've failed me not once, but twice over." She said as she left the dais, wiped the remnants of the tears off her face and stopped directly in front of the man on the right. Leaning down she whispered in his ear. "I am very disappointed my pet."

"Yes Mistress." He whimpered.

"Can you give me any reason why I shouldn't kill you both right now?" She asked.

In distress the man began to sob uncontrollably.

"Well, my pet, is there any reason at all?" She asked in disgust as she kicked him and then returned to the dais retrieving her agiel from the cushion on a pedestal next to the chair she had been sitting in.

"Forgive me, but there is, Mistress." Interjected the man on the left.

"Oh! This one speaks now." She said turning around with a devious smile on her face. With malice in her heart she approached him, wiggling the agiel in the air flippantly.

With fear in his eyes the man cast his gaze even further down towards the floor.

"Yes, Mistress. Forgive me, but the Mother Confessor."

"What about her?" Seh'ra asked incredulously placing a hand on her hip.

"We threw her in the dungeon."

"What?" She asked in confusion.

"Well, the Confessor's sister, another Confessor, was in charge of the city when the D'harans took over. They placed her in the dungeons, and so, when the D'harans allied themselves with the Seeker she demanded to be brought to her sister to release her. We were given the task, but we didn't take her to the other Confessor. We threw her in the oubliette, underneath the Confessor's Palace. We are the only ones who know where she is. With any luck she is dead already."

"Interesting, my pet, but how does that help?" She asked patting the agiel in her left hand.

"Mistress, the Seeker is obsessed with his Confessor. He won't be able to think straight with her missing, and, with the Seeker distracted, the D'harans will not be able to mount an effective defense against an invading force, especially one bolstered by a faction of Mriswith. The city is ready for the taking and with it the Seeker and his riffraff. I'm sorry, Mistress. Are you not please?"

"On the other hand, my pet, I am very pleased. However, you misunderstand me. I knew how the Confessor being gone would help our cause in taking the city and in eliminating the Seeker and his friends. But I meant how does that information not make me want to kill you?" She said as she walked around behind him, her red leather creaking as her hips swayed back and forth.

"Mistress?" He asked.

"Well, if the Mother Confessor is missing, and you two are the only ones who know where she is, then…" She paused as she leaned in and whispered in his ear, "I can't let you live now can I?"

"No, Mistress! Plea—" He began as she quickly jammed her agiel in to the base of his neck killing him instantly. As his body slumped to the floor the general quickly launched himself off the dais tackling the other man. A brief struggle ensued, but eventually the general grabbed a handful of the man's brown hair, pulled his head back, and sliced the man's throat faster than the other could react.

It was time. Aydindril was a starling gliding through the sky ready for her talons to tear into, a bright red apple ready to be picked. Ripe.


End file.
